A Night To Remember For All The Wrong Reasons
by MaiWad
Summary: Ruby, Belle, Aurora and Mulan have been planning a big girls night out for weeks. But will all go as planned? Eventual Red Beauty and Sleeping Warrior. Rated T for strong language and sexual references.
1. Chapter 1: Oblivious

"Tonight is going to be totally _awesome!_"

Midafternoon on Friday, Ruby, Belle, Aurora and Mulan were incredibly enthusiastic for their big night out in town. They were going to 'bombard' -as Ruby put it- 'the biggest and most famous club in the entire world.' Ruby had been planning the night for around four weeks, and had been non-stop talking about it since.

"Yeah, you said that already!" exclaimed Aurora, with a grin on her face.

"Sorry, guys, I'm just really excited," beamed Ruby. "It's gonna be a night we'll remember for years to come."

At their regular table at Granny's, each girl sipped on a fancy glass of iced tea- a drink that Belle had introduced to the group. They were known to be 'the noisy ones' at the diner, usually for their constant uncontrollable laughter.

"What are you going to wear?" Aurora asked, turning to Mulan.

Mulan's cheeks reddened. "I… I don't know yet. Probably something casual, I guess."

"Are you fucking kidding me, right now?" Ruby slammed her glass down on the table, almost smashing it in the process. "Go wild; or go home, girl! Besides, it's probably Aurora's last night out before her baby pops out, and then it's goodbye nightlife, hello motherhood."

Aurora had announced her pregnancy just a few weeks ago, so the girls were having one last night out to celebrate. Of course, it had to be bigger, and better than ever.

"If you're going to wear makeup, wear winged eyeliner to bring out your eyes," suggested Aurora. "Seriously, you'd look smoking hot."

Mulan smiled shyly. On the occasion that Aurora paid any slight attention to her, it made butterflies spawn in her stomach.

"So, what time are we meeting again?" pondered Belle. "Eight thirty?"

"_Nine_ thirty," corrected Ruby, rolling her eyes. "God, Belle. You'd forget your head if I wasn't around."

Belle shook her head. "Thank God you're here, then," she said sarcastically.

"What would you ever do without me? Actually, what would you _all _do without me? I'm sophisticated, sexy, and organized."

"Sure. That explains why you were late for your shift earlier," noted Aurora. Belle and Mulan snorted.

Ruby shot them all a look. "Shut up. Geez. Need I remind you that drinks are on me tonight?"

"And I have a feeling taxi money will be on me if you drink so much you forget your own name like last time. Remember?" said Belle.

"That wasn't me," claimed Ruby.

"Uh, yes it was," agreed Aurora. "You kept on calling me Marianne, and trying to squeeze my boobs."

"Fair enough. But that was years ago." Ruby attempted to brush away the subject.

"Three months, actually," said Mulan.

"Guys, can we just drop it?" Ruby snapped. "Let's talk boys. Ladies, how many men do you think I shall be able to hook up with tonight?"

"None." The three replied in unison, resulting in sniggers.

"Wow, you all have _such_ optimism. It's my one free night in forever, yet none of you are looking forward to it."

"We _are,_" replied Belle. "We just can't wait to see you puke your lungs out, film it, and put it on YouTube!"

"Sometimes I wonder why I'm friends with you people."

"Can't I just wear jeans?" Mulan changed the subject. "I mean, I look no good in a dress."

"Don't be ridiculous," said Aurora. "How are you supposed to get laid in jeans?"

"Maybe I don't want to get laid."

"Show off those legs, girl!" smirked Ruby.

"Maybe I don't want to show off my legs," said Mulan.

"Let Mulan wear what she wants," interrupted Belle. "Tonight's about celebrating, not arguing about what someone wants to wear. As long as she's comfortable, everything's fine."

Thanking Belle, Mulan nodded and smiled towards her. Once they made eye contact, Belle returned the smile.

"So, Ruby. Is Dr. Whale still creeping on you?" asked Aurora.

"He tried to persuade me to come home with him last night, when I was walking home," explained Ruby. "I sent him packing, though. Gotta admit though- it is quite fun being eye candy. Even if it is for middle aged creeps."

"You're such an attention whore," stated Aurora, absentmindedly twirling a strand of her auburn curls.

"Whatever," said Ruby.

Sensing a little tension in the air, Belle stood, and picked up her near empty glass of iced tea. "Who's for another round?"

"Not me, the stuff is foul," said Ruby.

"What? I thought you liked it." By the tone of her voice, Belle almost seemed offended that Ruby didn't like the taste of her favorite drink.

"That was three glasses ago. I don't understand how you live on the stuff."

Though she knew it had been said lightly, Belle couldn't help but feel slightly offended by Ruby's spiteful comments recently. Perhaps it was just showing off, or rather just a different side to her friend's personality.

After looking at her watch, Aurora was next to stand. "I've gotta go guys."

Shouts of "Really?" "Already?" "You just got here!" were immediately spouted.

"Sorry, guys, but I'll see you tonight." Without so much of a goodbye, Aurora had left.

"Well, that was weird," uttered Belle.

"It's Aurora, what do you expect?" said Ruby.

* * *

><p>Alone in her apartment at 8pm, Mulan was carefully applying eyeliner to her eyes when her phone buzzed from across the room. Curious on who could be calling her at the time; she scampered across the room to where it was charging. Butterflies reappeared in her stomach when she saw the caller ID. Since she was only wearing a thin bathrobe, she felt bare and on instinct attempted to cover herself up when she answered. "Hello?"<p>

"Mulan," Aurora's voice was wheezy and barely audible. Although, she seemed grateful that Mulan had answered her call. "I- I don't think I'll be able to make it tonight."

"What?" Mulan couldn't hide her confusion. "Why not?"

"I just don't feel up to it." The more she talked, the more it sounded like an excuse.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm great. I'll talk to you soon, ok?"

"Hey, if you just feel like having a girl night in, I could come over. We could order pizza, watch a few chick flicks…"

"Honestly, Mulan, I just want to sleep at the moment. I seriously love you for caring, though."

"Ok, then. Talk to you soon."

Like always, Aurora hung up first. Mulan snapped her cell shut, then placed it back on the table. She returned to her mirror, picked up some makeup wipes, before starting to remove the eyeliner. There was nobody to impress, as well as no reason to impress anyone at the club anymore. The only person she was really looking forward to seeing tonight didn't want to see her at all. Sure, Mulan understood that her best friend was without a doubt hurt for an unknown reason, but wanted to be left alone. Still, she wished she could do something to make her feel better.


	2. Chapter 2: The Night Begins

"Hey, it's me, again. I know you may not want to talk to anyone at the moment, but I just want you to know that I'm here for you. Please call me as soon as you get this. Even if you just want to vent, you can trust me with anything."

Mulan had just left a third voicemail for Aurora. Hopefully it didn't seem too frantic, though Mulan was seriously concerned for Aurora's safety. What if something horrible had happened to her? Wincing at the very thought, Mulan picked up her phone again, and began to dial when Ruby's name flashed upon her screen. Reluctant, she answered. "Hello?"

"Where the hell are you? It's 9:35." Ruby's voice barked on the other end.

_Shit. _Mulan had completely lost track of time. She examined herself. She was still in her bathrobe, while her hair was soaking wet in a towel. Freaking out, Mulan struggled to think up a lie. "I'm just running a little late, that's all."

"Less talking, more moving, then! God, Aurora already cancelled on us, I don't want another girl turning us down."

"Did she say why she had to cancel?" Mulan didn't want to appear over-concerned about Aurora, but her immediate response clearly gave it away.

"Just said she wasn't up for it. She's such a partypooper. I bet she's tucked up in bed now watching Desperate Housewives, or something, bingeing on a mega box of chocolates. Ugh, I'm starving. Could you pick up some fries for me on your way?"

"Ruby, I'm _not_ bringing fries to a nightclub."

"Fine, forget it. You suck. See you in a few."

After Ruby hung up, Mulan realized that she could have wriggled out of going to the stupid nightclub the second she picked up the phone. Instead, she had only gone and told Ruby that she was running late. Cursing at herself, Mulan dropped her phone back on the table, and hurriedly continued to get ready.

* * *

><p>Mulan arrived at the nightclub at a fashionably late time of 10:15. It didn't have the most glamorous of locations, for it was in the middle of nowhere and frankly, the area had a strange scent of fish. The club itself wasn't so much mind-blowing, not a place you would be made speechless of when passing. It was an old building, seeming pretty rundown. Although, according to Ruby it was 'the hottest club in town.' Of course, as proved on several occasions, Ruby was <em>always<em> right.

After passing the bouncer, then entering the club, the casual girl immediately felt out of place. She was wearing a plain black dress with little sequins or bows like the many other girls around her, complete with black leggings and two inch heel boots. A matching bag was over her shoulder, which merely contained her purse, cell phone and keys. On first sight, she had expected the club to be pretty empty. It was clear she had been proven wrong. She couldn't help but feel anxious nearby the hundreds around her. As per usual, loneliness was her best friend.

Vibrations of the booming music made the whole room shake. Purple spotlights beamed from every corner, blinding Mulan every so often. Every girl seemed to look the same when Mulan began the search for her friends. Just by the look of some of their faces, she knew that some were definitely not twenty-one. Maybe it was their lack of decent clothing that got them past the bouncer. Thankful, Mulan's worries flew away when she spotted Ruby and Belle at the bar. Belle spotted her first, then called her over.

Belle looked both sexy and striking in a purple tight-fitting tube top and a plastic looking skirt that barely covered her rear. Tights, ridiculously high heels and a messy bun finished her look.

On the other hand, Ruby also stood out for being quite eye-catching. A sleeveless alarmingly red dress exposed cleavage. Her straight hair was loose, donning its usual red streaks of color. Unsurprisingly, Ruby's heels were a few inches taller than Belle's.

Once she had taken a huge glug of her drink, a wide tooth grin spread upon Ruby's face as Mulan approached. "Mulie!" she exclaimed, immediately grasping her friend and giving her a bear hug.

All the while, Mulan looked baffled. "Is she drunk already?"

"We may have had a few shots," slurred Belle.

"You look beautiful!" cried Ruby, when the hug ended. "Your makeup- wow!"

"I'm not wearing any makeup," said Mulan.

"You know what else is beautiful? Lemons. Lemons are beautiful."

Mulan and Belle exchanged glances.

"When life gives you lemons… uh… eat them!" Ruby stood, almost losing her balance as she did. "I may have to go visit the lemon throne! By that, I mean the restroom."

Judging by her failure to walk a few steps away from the bar without tripping in the process, Mulan guessed that Ruby had definitely had more than 'a few' shots.

When she was out of earshot, Belle turned to Mulan. "If that's her at quarter past ten, I can't wait to see her on the way home."

Mulan laughed, before gradually looking down at her feet.

"Are you OK?" asked Belle. "Sorry, it's just… you seem a bit down."

"How can you tell?" Mulan wondered.

"I just can. Your eyes, they seem distracted. Like you laughed then, but not all of you was laughing. And body language. You absentmindedly look away whenever anyone talks to you. In short, you don't really want to be here."

"I do," protested Mulan.

"No, you don't."

Mulan sighed. "I guess I don't. Belle, how do you do that?"

"I'm quite an expert at reading people. I also know the reason why you don't want to be here, and where you'd rather be."

Knowing what she was going to say, Mulan just shook her head in denial. "I'm fine, Belle. Honestly."

Belle chuckled. "Ok, I believe you." The tone of her voice suggested that she didn't 100% believe her.

"If you want to distract yourself, you know how, right?"

"How?"

"Drinks are on Ruby tonight. Get drunk, live tonight, worry tomorrow. It's exactly what I'm going to do."

"Thanks."

"Any time. Just to assure you, I'm certain our little 'Rora is fine, anyhow."

Ruby staggered back to the pair, waving her arms around as if they were going to fall off. "What are you just standing there for? Let's dance!"

"I'll pass," said Mulan. "But Belle would be honored."

Ruby beamed at Belle, while Belle glared at Mulan. She gave her a look which basically read _'I- cheer-you-up-and-this-is-how-you-repay-me?'_ Before Belle could argue, Ruby pulled her towards the dancefloor. Straight away, Mulan turned to the bartender and ordered a vodka and coke. It was going to be a long night, so she thought no other reason but to try to enjoy it. Even if that meant drinking the night away.

* * *

><p>"Did you know that lemons have enough power to work a small digital watch? Fascinating, right?"<p>

Uncomfortable, the man who Ruby was attempting to chat up slowly slid away from her.

"Call me!" shrieked Ruby, despite the fact no numbers had been exchanged.

Belle approached her drunken friend. "Sweetie-"

"Hello my little Bellie Baby!" Ruby gave her friend a bear hug. Her grasp was tight, squeezing Belle close. "Where have you _been?_"

"I was in the restroom with you, before I went into a stall, and later discovered you had gone."

"You're so obnoxious!" Ruby released Belle, and scrunched her face. "Learn to let it go!"

Rolling her eyes, Belle knew there was no use to argue with Ruby when she was drunk.

Amongst giggles, Ruby extended her hands towards Belle's breasts. "Let me squeeze your lemons," she whispered in a low, seductive voice.

Belle slapped Ruby's hands away. "Inappropriate."

"Come on! Live a little." Ruby tried again, but Belle stopped her for the second time.

"I'm welcome to help you to get laid, but you won't be getting lucky with me tonight."

Ruby pulled a fake pouty face. She then looked to the sky, placing a finger to her chin, in consideration. "Fine. But first, let's hit the bar. I want to see if they have any lemonade. With extra lemon."


	3. Chapter 3: I'll Be Your Friend

**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to my absolute best friend Megan. Slight resemblance to our relationship can be seen in this chapter, as it was a small inspiration for it. Just like the two mains focused on in this chapter say, I literally do not know what I would do without her. **

* * *

><p>Nauseous from the hyperactive energetic vibe from the club, Mulan had decided to hide away in the restroom for a while. She plopped her bag down near a sink, searching for her cell phone. After taking a brief look at her uneasy self in the mirror, she began to dial Aurora's number. Mulan hadn't been able to get her out of her mind all night, concluding to the worst possibilities. Death? Rape? Who knew what had happened? For a moment, Mulan felt like she was going to vomit into the sink.<p>

Aurora had no idea just how much she meant to her. Without a second thought, she pressed call.

A ringtone coming from one of the stalls startled Mulan. Strangely, she felt familiar with its pop song, yet there was no reason to, as all modern songs to her sounded the same. It took a second for her to realize just how she recognized it.

Ending the call, Mulan knocked on the stall it was coming from. "Aurora?"

She heard a small whimper, then tried knocking again, but made the door open ajar. She pushed the door open to find Aurora squished into the left-hand corner between the toilet and the wall. Cheeks wet with tears, and a half-full glass of coke in her hand, it was everything Mulan's mind had been fearful about.

"Oh, my God," gasped Mulan. "What happened?"

Although it was a struggle, Mulan helped Aurora to her feet. Momentarily, it looked like Aurora was going to fall down again, but Mulan clutched her arm and placed a firm hand on her back just in time. Aurora was wearing the exact same outfit she was wearing at the diner, a lilac shirt with matching pants, and her hair was loose over her shoulders. She tried to speak, however her words were held back by tears each time.

Not knowing what else to do, Mulan just pulled in Aurora for a hug, which she definitely deserved. The embrace lasted for a while; Aurora squeezing her eyes, trying to stop her tears, ultimately resulting in more flowing out. Neither ever wanted to let go.

They finally pulled away at the same time. "I'm a mess, right now." Aurora managed to speak.

"No, you're not," assured Mulan. "Everybody's allowed to get upset sometimes. You're not any different. Do you want to tell me what happened?"

Aurora nodded. "I… I fucked up. Big time."

"Surely, it's not the end of the world."

"It is, though. For me, it is."

Mulan bit her lip. She couldn't bear to see Aurora like this. But then she became distracted. "Is there alcohol in this?" Snatching the drink, she took a whiff. "Jesus, Aurora. I know you're upset, and all, yet this doesn't solve anything. You're pregnant, for Christ's sake."

"I'm not."

"What?"

"Pregnant. I'm not."

Taken aback, Mulan blinked blankly. "What do you mean you're not?"

"I told you guys before I took the test. I was so sure I was though. All the signs… Sore boobs, cravings. My exact words to you guys were 'I may or may not be pregnant.' Clearly, you all took it the wrong way."

Now that she thought about it, Mulan did remember the 'may or may not' part, though she had overlooked it at the time as she was so over the moon about the whole thing. However, later in the day, she realized that now that Aurora was going to be a mother, she had to store old feelings away and move on with her life. Lacking consent, a selfish thought entered Mulan's mind.

Vulnerable as can be, Aurora was drunk and was unlikely to remember anything in the morning. How easy would it be for Mulan to take the plunge right now, take control of her own life for once? Chances were that Aurora would dive into it. Desperate for love, lust and all things Mulan craved. A one night stand that could lead into something much bigger, better, beautiful. Taking the plunge would be a brave and daring decision. Was it one that Mulan was going to take?

"I'm… so sorry," said Mulan.

Giving a sad smile, Aurora wiped fresh tears from her eyes. "Everything's great, you know? I never really wanted to be a mother anyway, so…" Judging by the way her voice trailed off, it was certain that being a mother was, and always had been, Aurora's dream.

Aurora had always been the motherly figure of the group. The one who told you when you were making a mistake; the one who was prissy and required respect. When passing a baby shop, she always stopped and looked at all the cute little dresses in the window. Destined to have a child, Mulan knew that if Aurora truly did not want to have a baby, she wouldn't be drunk at a nightclub, crying her eyes out.

Guilt drowned Mulan's thoughts, until they were nothing but washed away, useless concepts. Here was her best friend, who was in need of nothing more than a best friend. Lost in the world, Aurora had absolutely no idea what she was going to do with her life. She had a brief flicker of hope, but it was a flicker nonetheless. Though Mulan's world was too upside down, her feelings of affection had to be hidden for now, as Aurora needed her. She needed a shoulder to cry on, and if that was all Mulan was wanted for, that was good enough for her. Mulan wasn't going to throw their amazing friendship away for the sake of her own self-regarding reasons.

"You can keep trying," Mulan suggested. "It's rare that every first attempt is successful."

"No, you don't understand. We have been trying for months. Yet every single time, there's no such luck."

"All you need to do is focus on the positives."

"I've been trying to focus on the positives, Mulan!" Aurora was now screaming at her, overpowering the thudding of the music next door. "Except everything just keeps coming up negative. Like my tests!"

Aurora looked away from Mulan, unable to look her in the eye. She felt herself burning up, both in anger and embarrassment. There was an unbreakable silence for minutes. In an attempt of comfort, Mulan began stroking Aurora's arm. Aurora flinched at first, then allowed her to continue.

"I know things don't seem easy at the moment," Mulan barely whispered. "But I promise that things will get better soon."

"How do you know?" Aurora looked directly into Mulan's eyes, questioning her almost intimidatingly; while she was on the verge of breaking down yet again.

"I may not be able to see the future. But I know that while life may bring you down, it always has a way of bringing you back up where you belong. It's a rollercoaster. You might as well stay on for the whole ride."

Deep in thought for a while, Aurora's eyes dropped to the floor. Considering Mulan's answer, she then turned back to her best friend and gradually gave her a lasting smile. Her eyes were still spilling with water, but she seemed genuinely touched by the words. Something about them just imprinted the phrases on her heart, like a tattoo. It sincerely was life advice.

"I honestly don't know what I'd do without you." Aurora finally said.

Mulan smiled, and tried her hardest to not tear up. "Neither do I."

"Still; you wouldn't mind if I got totally hammered tonight, would you?"

"I might actually join you."

"Ok, well- I'm going to head to the bar and order us two vodkas, and some shots. See you in a minute."

The second Aurora left, Mulan could feel her heart dropping to her stomach. The words  
>"I honestly don't know what I'd do without you." circled rapidly throughout her mind. What Mulan almost did in that restroom could have destroyed their friendship forever. After that, would Aurora still have said those nine words? Or would they have been along the lines of 'I never want to see your face ever again.'?<p>

Picking up her bag, it almost felt like the room was spinning, yet Mulan was mostly sober. The advice she had given Aurora had poured out of her mouth like vomit, word vomit. Unable to control, or stop, but it seemed like it had worked. She had also given herself some advice, along the way. Life was a rollercoaster, all right. But so was love, and heartbreak. Sometimes, she wanted to get off the ride. Even if she had to jump a thousand feet from the air, and break her leg along the way.


	4. Chapter 4: Wrong End Of The Stick

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. I've been busy over the last few weeks!**

A slow song now gently played through the speakers. It had changed the atmosphere more or less completely. Tipsy couples around the room swayed gently to the beat, the occasional drops of wine sloppily being splashed over the floor. The song wasn't old, but it had the vibe of a classic.

Taking a break from the world of the party mobsters for a while, Ruby sat alone in a booth, staring ahead, distracted by the music. Actually, it was Belle who had forced her to take a break. The second the song had switched from a fast paced pop song to a slow paced melody, Ruby was fully prepared to wrestle the DJ.

"Who in God's name requested this shit?" she had shouted at the ceiling. She had staggered around the room, waggling her finger in her fellow partiers' faces in accusation. "Was it you? Was it you? I bet it was you, wasn't it?!"

Before she could trouble the people any further, Belle had stepped in and told her to take a five minute break. Handing her a glass of water, Belle told her that once the song was over, she could return to the dancefloor. Reluctantly, Ruby had accepted the deal.

Thus far, Ruby had decided that the slow song wasn't so bad after all. Not that she was a music critic, or anything, but the song wasn't unbearable. She tended to listen to songs that were about getting high, or drunk, and having a good time, rather than songs with deep meaning. It was different, to say the least.

"Bet your eardrums are bleeding, right now,"

Belle appeared from out of nowhere. She rested her hand upon the table, and shifted her weight against the edge of it. "How are you holding up?"

There were a few seconds silence, until Ruby replied, "Couples suck," Her eyes focused on the number of happy couples, still grinning wide at each other, joyfully and drunkenly. It seemed like she couldn't have one without the other. Most of the time she faked her happiness. The only time she truly was happy was when the alcohol took over her system. It was nice to get away from her life for a while, and almost be a different person. Sober Ruby was plain. Intoxicated Ruby was juicy, and delicious. Watching the happy couples made Ruby reconsider her thoughts. She was still drunk, but she certainly wasn't jumping for joy.

One guy sneakily tried to grab his girlfriend's ass, but instead received a stern look, and a hard slap. As the girl stormed away, Ruby referred her attention back to Belle. "Guys are douches."

"Tell me about it," said Belle, slipping across from Ruby into the booth. She took a large sip from her white wine. "They only want two things. Boobs and ass."

"That's _three_ things."

Belle smirked. "I suppose it is. Nevertheless, the point still stands. It's like I don't even have a personality. They're not interested in me unless I'm half-or fully-naked."

"It's the classic Halloween party scenario. Two years ago, I was a sexy nurse. I got my ass grabbed six times, and three phone numbers. Last year, I was a pumpkin. Guess how many times my ass got grabbed? Kaput."

"You got a phone number, though, right?"

"Don't remind me," Ruby scoffed. "Dr. Whale. 'Unzip that costume, and let that pumpkin juice flow.'" She shuddered.

"They keep telling me I just haven't found the right guy yet," said Belle. "I'm not sure the right guy exists."

"People are always spewing crap, like 'You'll meet the one. It's fate.' Screw fate. I'd rather stick to one night stands than be stuck in a dumb old marriage."

"Marriage is lame!" Belle declared, slamming her drained glass on the table. "Why should I wake up next to the same man every morning, when I could wake up next to a hot Mexican who works out daily? A guy with a tattoo in a very specific area? Hell, a girl with jumbo sized boobs?"

Taken aback, Ruby could feel herself burning up. She prayed that Belle wouldn't notice. "_What?_" she said involuntarily.

"You heard me. I'd bang anyone."

_Get a grip,_ Ruby told herself. _She's drunk, and doesn't know what she's saying. _She worked up a small smile. "Me too," she concurred. They clinked their glasses together.

"Forget couples! Belle and Ruby are in town," Belle took another swig of her wine. After she finished, she slammed her hands down on the table, stood, and leaned in close to Ruby. So close, that Ruby had to scold herself for her subconscious frame of mind. Their eye contact was steel, unbreakable. Belle's voice hushed to a faint, seductive whisper. "And we're here to make a night that you'll remember."

While Belle sunk back into her seat, Ruby felt her cheeks. Just as she feared, they were burning. "It's hot in here, isn't it?" she lied, pretending to fan herself.

"Totally," grinned Belle, in a seductive tone.

Belle looked Ruby up and down, examining. Self-conscious, Ruby wrapped her arms around herself.

"Say," Belle began. She gritted her teeth, then put her long manicured fingernail in her mouth, in consideration. "How about we make some memories tonight?"

Ruby's eyes widened. Was Belle seriously suggesting what she thought she was suggesting? Speechless, she struggled to think of a reply.

"No better time than the present, right?" Belle gave Ruby a large smile.

Ruby nodded in agreement. Sure, she was up for it. It was the fact that it was _Belle_ engaging her for it, not the other way around. For years, Ruby had been trying to build up the courage to confess her feelings for Belle. Feelings that she had been trying to convince herself weren't real. But now, that there was an opportunity to open up, and actually _make some memories_ with this girl. The whole thing was so sudden that Ruby was baffled by the whole thing.

Slipping out of the booth, Belle stood and extended her hand towards Ruby. "It's now or never, baby," she breathed.

Ruby finally allowed herself to smile. She was ready. Confidently, she grasped Belle's hand. Belle pulled her to her feet, and then began to lead her towards a quieter part of the club. The slow song had changed into something more Rubyesque, but she didn't care. The noise around her didn't matter anymore; all Ruby's attention was on Belle.

When they stopped, Belle's grin was wide. Her eyes were full of light, and screamed excitement. "Wait here," she said, before disappearing into the crowd.

_This is it._ Ruby thought to herself. _Don't screw this up now._

Barely thirty seconds had passed when Belle returned. Ruby's smile faded. She wasn't alone.

"Ruby, meet Billy. Billy, meet Ruby," chirped Belle. "Now, Rubes, Billy here doesn't want to be in a committed relationship. He's sick of all the complications, and whatnot, of having a girlfriend. Tonight he's looking for a simple one night stand, with no phone number exchanges, no 'why didn't you call me back?' nonsense, _nothing. _How awesome is that?"

Ruby bit her lip. Billy wasn't ugly- in fact, if Belle wasn't in the picture, he would be the guy Ruby would go for. She had got completely the wrong idea. Of course, Belle wasn't going to get with her tonight, or ever, for that matter. It was obvious that Belle was straight, and had no interest with sleeping with her. What was she thinking? That Belle suddenly was in love with her, or something? It was never going to happen, simple as. Ruby couldn't believe just how dumb she had been.

The only way out of this was to put on a brave face, to carry on. She gave her most genuine smile to both Belle and Billy. "It's pretty awesome."

Belle squealed. "I knew you'd love him!" She turned to Billy. "See, I told you she'd love you!"

Billy awkwardly shifted his eyes from Belle to Ruby, giving her a nervous grin. It was clear he was uncomfortable with Belle's drunkenness.

"Now, I'll leave you two lovebirds alone," said Belle, taking a couple of steps backwards. She nearly stumbled on a small platform, but managed to keep upright. "Play dirty, you filthy animals!" she called back to them, as she walked away.

"I, uh, hear the dumpster outside is a great place for privacy," said Billy.

"Lead the way," said Ruby, half-heartedly.

Sure, it wasn't Billy's fault that she had got the wrong idea about what Belle was implying. Her mind had created her own fantasy of living happily ever after with Belle, ignoring the reality. She had to get her head out of her ass. Belle wasn't in love with her, and that wasn't going to change. People had had their hearts broken before, and what did they do? Move on. That was what she needed to do. Get over the girl who she would never get to be with. Convince herself that there was no real future for either of them whatsoever. No one night stand, no lasting relationship. It wouldn't be so hard, would it? All she had to do was to follow Belle's advice. Screw relationships, screw marriage, screw feelings. Make sex just be sex, and don't get attached too easily. That was what she had been doing wrong. Being so attached to Belle had prevented her from having fun, doing what she actually wanted to do. She had missed out on so much, just because of some dumb girl.

_No more,_ she told herself. _The Past Pouting Ruby is gone for good, and the New Racy Ruby is here to stay. _

And the New Ruby was sexy, seductive, and cold as ice. Manipulation was her middle name. Nothing could stand in her way. She had been holding herself back for so long. It was time for the real Ruby Lucas to run free.


	5. Chapter 5: Mutual Attraction

Desperate to get as drunk and distant as possible, Mulan chugged down her third shot of whiskey. Queasy, she belched. A sick feeling came on, and she covered her mouth with a hand, squeezing her eyes shut. Maybe that was one shot too many.

The barmaid took the empty shot glass. She had cropped chocolate hair, heavy eyeliner and looked around Mulan's age. "Steady yourself, champ. Unless you plan on vomiting all over me and my work area, I suggest you excuse yourself to the restroom."

Mulan waved her hand away, blinking her eyes open. "I'm good."

"You don't look so good. Where's your friend? She was pretty hot stuff."

Mulan shrugged. Aurora was probably somewhere on the dancefloor. To be honest, Mulan didn't know exactly where Aurora was. Not that she didn't care, however she was focusing on getting hammered more than anything.

"Are you ok?" the barmaid asked, seemingly concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I told you."

"No, I mean, you look… sad."

Mulan narrowed her eyes. "Sad?"

"You look down in the dumps. Something getting you down?"

"No," lied Mulan. She had no reason to reveal out all of her feelings to a random stranger.

"You're supposed to tell your barman your troubles. Come on, it might make you feel better."

Maybe it was the third shot. Maybe it was the nostalgia. Nonetheless Mulan suddenly found herself telling the stranger everything she had been feeling for the past few years. Absolutely everything.

"Guys noticed me… but I never felt a connection. Not with anybody but her. She was just so… what's the word…" Mulan took a sip of the martini that the barmaid had given her on the house. She made a face at its tang. "Immaculate. I mean, she was just too immaculate, if you know what I mean…" She trailed off, and gave the barmaid a little wink. "She never let her hair down. She should embrace her inner sex goddess."

Strangely, the barmaid actually seemed intrigued. "So, she was always that little bit too perfect?"

"Yes! Thank you, Ruby."

"My name's not Ruby, it's-"

"Like, I like sluts." Mulan interrupted. "Sluts aren't afraid of being too slutty. Her? Pfft. She was a total virgin."

"But I thought you said she was trying to get pregnant-"

"Girls are dumb. Guys are dumb. You're dumb. I'm dumb. Everybody's dumb."

"That I can agree on." The barmaid concurred. "Want another drink?" she added, pointing to the near neglected martini.

"Got anything stronger?" asked Mulan.

"We do, but right now I'm gonna have to serve you a water."

"_Why?_" Mulan's voice reminded the barmaid of a five year olds whine when it was time to go home from some birthday party.

"Because water will prevent you from having a hangover tomorrow. Trust me, it works."

Mulan considered. "Fine. One glass, then I'd like a shot. And then a bucket for my puke, after the shot."

"Deal." The barmaid said.

* * *

><p>Nursing the water, Mulan was coming to the life rethinking part of her drunkenness. "I'm ugly," she said to nobody in particular.<p>

The barmaid overheard, and returned to her newly favorite customer. "No, you're not," she assured her.

"I am. That's why Aurora doesn't love me. Even with a shit ton of makeup, I look hideous."

"Stop bringing yourself down. I barely met you half an hour ago, and I already think you're pretty damn awesome."

A smile crept onto Mulan's face. "You think so?"

"I know so. Generally, I'm a good judge of character. Once, my sister had this new boyfriend, and I got a bad vibe off him. Two weeks later, he was caught in bed with her best friend."

"Whoa," was all Mulan could say.

"I trust my instincts. So far, I see no flaws in you, and you give off a good vibe. True, you may be drunk, miserable and alone, but you seem like a good person. So here's my advice. If you see something you like, you've gotta grab it. Because one day, if you don't, you're going to regret it for the rest of your life."

Things were a haze for Mulan, but she had understood exactly what the barmaid was saying. Instead of just sitting at the bar sulking about her life, she had to do something about it. Sitting around wasn't going to achieve anything. What happened in her life was through her control. Nobody owned her. Being herself was difficult, yet there was a way to change how she lived her life. To make an impact of what happened around her, rather than just waiting for the right people to approach her and make the change for her. Bravery was a must. She had to be fearless, to have courage. Hiding away in the shadows hadn't made her life any easy. Being out in the open was going to change everything.

* * *

><p>It had been twenty minutes since Belle had left Ruby with Billy. She was proud of her matchmaking. Billy and Ruby would get on like a house on fire. A one night stand was just what Ruby needed. Though the pang in Belle's chest told the opposite of proud. Jealousy? Surely not. Why would she feel jealous towards Ruby? Billy was an alright guy, but totally not Belle's type. Unless…<p>

No. Surely not. She couldn't be.

A strange sensation ran through Belle's body. Butterflies fluttered throughout her stomach. The flashing lights and deafening music closed in around her. The hot thick air clogged her throat. Claustrophobic, she knew she needed space. And fast.

The line for the restroom was at least a mile long, so that was out of the question. She ran towards the exit, pushing people out of the way with barely even an 'excuse me' or 'sorry.' Manners were the least of her worries as the anxiety and panic ran through her veins.

The second she reached the outside world she began to hyperventilate pathetically. Her hand clutched her chest while she coughed violently. The fear had left her out of breath. At least she was alone now.

Looking around, she realized that she was in an alleyway. The lighting was dim, with street lamps being the only source of light around. Her brain scrambled, she struggled to remember her thoughts just minutes ago. Jealousy. Ruby. Feelings. Everything was jumbled.

She took a deep breath. Times like this she longed for the comfort of her favorite blanket Booboo, from her childhood. The blankie had always helped to calm her down. Booboo was lost somewhere in storage, most likely in her attic. Just thinking of Booboo sort of helped calm her nerves. She figured it was because of the sentimental memories the blanket carried. Drinking hot cocoa with her Mom after Kindergarten; watching home movies with her Dad; playing with her little grey kitty Popcorn in her bedroom. Old memories tended to sooth her.

_Enough about the past,_ she thought to herself. _Time to face the present._

She closed her eyes. She had always been so sure of herself. Belle French, bookworm. Smart, easy going and kind. But now, she wasn't so sure of herself. Who was she? All her life she had been certain on her sexuality. It was 100% guys all the way. She stalked the hot, popular guys in school when she was the dorky kid with little friends. On TV, she would point out the hunks and proclaim 'I would.' 'I would' was a little game the four girls played. If you saw a hot guy, and you would totally bang him given the opportunity, you would have to say 'I would.'

Belle had noticed that as of late, 'I would' hadn't really been played as often. The last time was well over a month ago, when Aurora jokingly said 'I would' when Mulan walked into the room wearing a penguin costume for a charity fun run. Maybe the disappearance of 'I would' meant that the girls were growing up. Although, they weren't the most mature of girls anyway, especially when drunk.

Up the alleyway, Belle heard the faintest sob. Curious, she began to walk towards the place. Dumpsters sat in front of her. Behind the dumpsters was a fragile figure, a hand over their face, weeping. Her knees were tucked into her chest, a cigarette lit in her free hand.

"Ruby?" Belle asked, worried.

Immediately, Ruby's head snapped up. Embarrassed, she wiped the tears from her eyes and sniffed. "Hey. What are you doing back here?"

"The better question is what are _you_ doing back here? Where's Billy?" Belle's eyes darkened as a horrific thought entered her mind. "Did he_ hurt_ you?"

"No, no. He didn't do anything." Ruby's voice was cracking, thus she coughed to clear her throat. "I sent him away."

"Why? I thought you wanted to hook up with him."

"I did… at first. But something changed my mind."

Belle took a seat next to her best friend. She gave Ruby an expecting look.

"He didn't remember my name, even though we got acquainted five minutes before hand. He called me 'Roxanne', for some Goddamn reason."

Belle snorted, which made Ruby chuckle.

"If I'm going to get with a guy, he should at least know my name." continued Ruby. "Then I thought: 'What's the point?' He can barely remember my name, so he's not going to remember me. Why should I have sex with a guy if it doesn't mean anything? I want to make some memories, but whoever that lucky person is, I want them to have the same amazing memories." She took a drag from her cigarette. "I wanted to change who I was, you know? I wanted to be new. Exciting. Someone who all the guys think are totally hot. But when that became real, I wanted out. I'd rather one person think I'm special, than ten million."

Belle nodded in agreement. She wanted the same thing. She wanted her special someone to see her like she was the only person in the world. Being in such a prized relationship would be perfect.

"The way I see it," Ruby took yet another drag of her cigarette. "love is better than lust. Lusting means craving somebody because of how they perform in the bedroom. Love is loving someone for who they are. Beyond their flaws, beyond their mistakes. Love is what we all want, but can't all have." The last few words caused Ruby's heart to ache, as a frown set on her face.

Belle bit her lip. "You can have love," she told her. "You just haven't found it yet. It takes time."

"No," Ruby stated. She looked deep into Belle's eyes. "I have found it."

Without warning, it was like the world had frozen in time. One minute Ruby's hands were at her side. The next, one hand was on Belle's cheek. Belle felt herself involuntarily stiffen, but everything felt right and mellow when Ruby's lips met hers. It was slow, flawless and perfect. Like the final kiss at the end of those old romance movies, where they live happily ever after. Seconds passed, and Ruby began to pull away. Their foreheads pressed together, they looked into each other's eyes once more. It wasn't wrong. It wasn't a mistake. Everything felt right. Instantly, they dived back into each other. This kiss was loving, passionate, better than the last. Consequences didn't matter. All that mattered was that they were together.

Though Belle had only just realized her feelings for her best friend, a part of her had known all along. Ruby was her destiny. The rollercoaster of life had just got a whole lot faster and a whole lot better. And Belle definitely didn't want to ride to end.


	6. Chapter 6: Fighting Fire With Fire

**A/N: Sorry, this chapter's a little rushed and short. But I finally got myself to note down how this fic is going to end. The fic is 12 chapters long, not including an epilogue that will either be at the end of the last chapter, or be made into a new chapter. I really like how it ends, and hopefully, you readers will too.**

* * *

><p>By the time Mulan had finally spotted Aurora amongst the crowd, both were utterly smashed. Aurora was raving on the dance floor, seemingly unaware that most people at the side were watching and laughing at her. People that were making fun of her usually enraged Aurora, but now, she was too distracted by the song to pay any attention to them. At that moment, it seemed like Aurora was in her own little world, as if nothing or nobody could bother her. Things took a sudden turn when she purposefully shoved hard into a random girl, who was dancing next to her.<p>

The girl stumbled, and yelled at Aurora. From the distance, Mulan couldn't quite hear what the girl was saying, but whatever it was, it was certainly abuse. Defensive, Aurora shouted abuse back. In less than no time, the girls were up in each other's faces, threatening each other. Aurora snatched at a large chunk of the girl's blonde hair, and tugged it violently. The girl shrieked in agony. With that, Mulan jumped from her seat, and ran towards them.

"Stop!" cried Mulan. Forcefully, she pushed Aurora away from the girl, the grip being released from the chunk of hair. "God, Aurora, calm down." She turned to the girl whose hand was weakly placed at the tugged hair. "I'm so sorry about this. She gets a little too violent when she's drunk."

But Aurora didn't listen. "You complete _whore!_" she screamed at the girl, her voice so dry that it broke as she spoke.

Livid, the girl continued to shout abuse, only encouraging Aurora to argue with her. Mulan tried her best to push them away from each other, yet the girls refused to step down. A muscular guy who must have been around 6'4 came over. He could have easily been mistaken for a bouncer, but he wore a pair of baggy jeans. His coal black eyes stared directly at Mulan and Aurora. Instantly, Mulan felt threatened, but Aurora didn't even flinch.

"What's going on here?" he said to the girl, the severe look in his eye not fading.

"Just these bitches, Scottie," replied the girl. "Don't worry, I can handle it."

His expression became even darker. Fear struck into Mulan's veins. Aurora remained unfazed.

It was if that he was a predator, and Mulan was his prey. He smelt her fear. And she was terrified. He swung a punch. A blast of unbearable pain seized through the whole of her right cheek. The last thing she felt was her head hitting the ground.

* * *

><p>Reality finally sunk in, and Aurora rushed to Mulan's side. Nothing around her mattered anymore. Not the feeling of power she had had when she fought. Not the girl who she fought with, who was now screaming at her boyfriend between apologies to Aurora. All her attention was on Mulan.<p>

"Mulan?" Tears tumbled down Aurora's cheeks. "Please wake up." But Mulan didn't wake up. A panicked look set upon Aurora's face. She squeezed her best friend's hand. "Please tell me you're ok. Please."

Seeing the crowd that had gathered around the area, a bouncer came over. He escorted the blonde girl and her boyfriend out of the club. The boyfriend tried to fight against the bouncer, passing it off as an accident, but the bouncer was stronger and ignored his pleas. Despite the claims of how it was a mistake, the boyfriend showed little remorse about the situation.

Aurora continued to squeeze the life out of Mulan's hand. "Come on, wake up. I'm begging you."

Someone in the crowd offered to call an ambulance, but at that very second, Mulan's eyes blinked open. With her smile wide, Aurora had never been so relieved. On the other hand, Mulan looked confused more than anything. "Did I die, or something?" asked Mulan, with a genuinely serious look upon her face.

Aurora just laughed. "Just about. Let's excuse ourselves, and let you get checked out, shall we?"

Pushing past the long line of those waiting, Aurora helped Mulan into the restroom. Back when she was unsure what to do as a career, Aurora had studied to be a nurse. First Aid courses hadn't really come in handy since, but this was a golden opportunity.

A barmaid entered. Mulan recognized her as the one who she had ranted to earlier. "Hey, I heard you girls had been in some trouble," the barmaid said. "You ok there, Mulan?"

Mulan chuckled. Judging by her light heartedness, she was clearly a little concussed.

The barmaid smiled. "I'll go get some ice."

"Thank you," said Aurora.

Merely a minute later, the barmaid returned with two ice packs. Aurora thanked her once more, then placed the ice to Mulan's head and cheek.

"My head hurts a lot," said Mulan, when the barmaid had left.

"It will," nodded Aurora. "You hit your head pretty hard."

Sitting on the counter next to a sink, Mulan began to click her tongue. "Do you think if I was hot, people would notice me more?"

"Don't you remember Belle's pep talk on inner beauty? It's not about what you look like that makes people like you. It's about who you are inside that counts."

"Yeah, but what about models? No one gives a shit about what their personality is like. As long as they have the booty, that's all that matters."

Work experience as a makeup artist for runway models had pretty much bummed Aurora out. Everyone around her was so perfect… and then there was her. "We all crave perfection, Mulan. No one achieves it."

"Right. Apart from you."

"_Sorry?_"

"Well, look at you. You're gorgeous. You're funny. Everybody loves you. What more could you possibly want?"

"A _child._" Aurora had to prevent herself from shouting the words, but they still came out harsh. Her eyes filled with tears.

Though still in a haze, Mulan had known she had struck a nerve. Silence devoured the minutes.

Meanwhile, guilt ate away at Aurora. Maybe she shouldn't have lashed out on Mulan like that. After all, it wasn't her fault that she wasn't pregnant.

"I think I've always been in love with you." Mulan finally said. "Ever since we met."

Aurora tensed. Surely this wasn't Mulan talking. It was the alcohol, mixed with the concussion. "Say that again," Aurora said.

"To be honest, when I found out you weren't actually pregnant, there was a part of me that thought we could actually have a happy ending together. But then I remembered; you're straight!" With that, Mulan burst into hysterical, uncontrollable laughter. It was if the words she had said before hand had meant nothing, being a simple passing remark.

Whether the words were true or not was a mystery to Aurora. Deciding to overlook the situation, Aurora just shrugged it off. "Come on. Time to go home."


	7. Chapter 7: Apple Of Her Eye

Earlier in the night, Belle had said that she wouldn't actually mind hooking up with a girl. Who knew that said girl would be her best friend?

Frankly, Belle wasn't entirely certain if she meant her lesbian fantasies she had spouted when chatting with Ruby before, or if it was just to impress her. She was indeed drunk, after all, and half the things she said were not to be taken seriously. And she did reveal a lot of nonsense when under the influence.

The pulse of the music inside was still audible where they were crouched. Ruby had shared the cigarette with Belle, and they each took a puff in turn.

"So, does this change everything?" Ruby asked, passing the cigarette to Belle. She concealed her clear concern by attempting to ask casually. "Us… _together._"

Belle bit her lip. She had been too caught up in the moment to consider the fact that the pair of them hooking up left dozens of complications they would have to mend. For example, how they were going to explain it to Aurora and Mulan. Plus, her father, and Ruby's grandmother. It was unlikely that they would be understanding.

"I don't think so," said Belle. She didn't want to focus on the future right now. The present was absolutely perfect, and she didn't want to ruin it by dwelling on the problems they would have to face. "Besides, who cares what other people think? You're all that matters to me."

The cheesy line had seemingly proven well in Ruby's opinion as Belle received a grin and a kiss in return.

"Have I ever told you in a totally yes-homo way how beautiful you are?" said Ruby, changing the subject.

Belle smiled, while feeling her cheeks flush. She exhaled a cloud of smoke, then passed the cigarette to Ruby. "Not even in a no-homo way."

"How ludicrous of me!" exclaimed Ruby. Using long words she didn't really understand while drunk was a habit of hers that never faltered. "By what means could I not have observed your astonishing natural beauty before, and never voice the truth?"

"Ludicrous, indeed," agreed Belle.

Following one last puff, Ruby put out the cigarette. "So, tell me, Belle. Have you ever been in love?"

Belle hesitated. "Once."

"Ah, so you're not the slut who I formerly thought you were."

"Excuse me?"

"You know. Wearing your heart on your sleeve. Banging every guy or gal who's in a ten mile radius."

"Just because I've only been in love once doesn't mean that I'm not that dirty little slut you know and love, Rubes. I don't get attached to my little play things."

"Fair enough. Now tell me: who is this mysterious stranger whom you once kept your oh-so-loving heart with?"

"Well," Belle cleared her throat. "They were the kind of person you'd want to spend your whole life with. Charming, funny, gorgeous. All that jazz. Though, at first, I pushed the feelings away. I didn't want to get attached to them. I was… afraid."

"What were you afraid of?"

"I don't know. I guess I was afraid of messing up. Scared of doing the wrong thing. That us being together would destroy our friendship."

"So, what happened? Did you tell them how you felt?"

"One night we went out in town. We got drunk, had a blast. Made out a few times. And then…"

The anticipation upon Ruby's face was unmistakable. Her interest made Belle chuckle.

"…we ended up sharing a cigarette behind a dumpster."

Ruby blinked. She really had no idea. Though Belle noticed that a part of her looked actually hurt that Belle supposedly had had another person in her life whom had a strong impact on her heart. "What was his name?"

Belle shook her head. "You complete idiot."

"Huh?"

"How many people do you know that make out, and up smoking behind a dumpster?"

"Uh, pretty much all my high school drug addict friends."

Belle rolled her eyes, subsequently giving Ruby a peck on the cheek. Then, she pressed her lips close to Ruby's ear. "You're the only one for me," she whispered softly. "You're the only person I've ever been in love with." 

Realization dawned on Ruby's face as Belle pulled away. In a way, she almost looked relieved. "So, you were talking about me?"

"Well, yeah. Who else makes my heart pump at a thousand beats per minute?"

"You'd really want to spend your whole life with me?" The expression upon Ruby's face resembled a little puppy. Big sad eyes, with a grateful smile.

"I don't see why not. I'm in love with you, Ruby."

The puppy expression remained. Ruby was certain that nobody had made her feel this way before. Belle was the sunshine that she had always needed in her life. Finally, there was an opportunity for true happiness in both their lives.

"What about you, then?" Belle asked. "Have you ever been in love?"

"I thought I was. A couple of times, actually."

"Let me guess. Did they end up being complete arseholes?"

"Sometimes. Other times it was me who messed up. I've cheated before now…"

"Really?"

"It was in high school. I was… in a bad place. At first, I thought it was fun. I felt powerful, and free. But afterwards, I was left to pick up the pieces." Ruby blinked away the tears. "Peter was a good guy, too. He didn't deserve it."

"Peter Wolff?"

"That's the one. I begged for his forgiveness, but he said he would never be able to trust me again. I can't blame him. It's happened to me before, too. Killian cheated on me several times before I ended it. Guess that's karma for you."

There was a minute of silence until Belle gave her a smile and told her some of her usual reassuring words. "We all make mistakes. It was a long time ago. You are not the same person as you were back then. Knowing you have cheated doesn't make me look at you any different than ten minutes ago."

Ruby beamed. Belle truly did make everything better.

A couple more minutes passed until a mischievous thought entered Ruby's mind. "Say," she began. "Do you think there's enough room here to…?" She trailed off. After she winked, Belle knew _exactly _what she was suggesting.

Belle checked the narrow space around them. The space was so limited that even when they hugged their knees it was uncomfortable. "I don't think so," she replied.

Disappointed, Ruby's gaze fell the floor. Seeing this, Belle donned a smirk.

"But I do love a challenge," added Belle.


	8. Chapter 8: Fading Dreams

**A/N: Hey, guys. Sorry for the lack of updates. It's purely because I've had a seriously bad case of Writer's Block for a while now. I'm out of it now though... well, hopefully. I can just see myself being the same with the next chapter... Let's hope not, anyway. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

Aurora tugged her wrap closer to her chest as she led Mulan into the cold night air. It was pretty late; it had just gone 2am. Aurora was surprised how fast the time had gone. They say that time flew when having fun, yet she had had anything but.

The night had been pretty much a blur. Perhaps it would be better that way. All Aurora wanted to do was go home, take a nice hot bath, then hit the hay. But she had a friend who could barely walk, so attending to her own selfish needs were out of the question. A friend in need had always been her priority, no matter what the situation.

Mulan staggered forward. In her own little world, she completely missed the second step of the stairs, resulting in her body collapsing suddenly to the ground.

"Jesus Christ, are you alright?" asked Aurora, kneeling down for her best friend's aid.

Aurora could see that Mulan's heel had snapped off her left boot. Both of her arms were severely bruised purple and grey. But Mulan was laughing. When Aurora helped her to her feet, she snorted loudly causing her to chuckle even more. "I got a boo-boo," chuckled Mulan.

A smile spread across Aurora's face. Mulan almost stumbled over once more, but Aurora grabbed onto her just in time.

"I can manage on my own," said Mulan, pushing Aurora's hands off of her hips. She staggered forward, clutching a lamppost for support.

Being the responsible adult here was Aurora's position. Truth be told, she wasn't exactly sober herself. Her drunkenness had led to the argument with the bitch, and her boyfriend. She stumbled towards Mulan, pulling out her cell.

"It's freezing out here," complained Mulan. "Call for a cab already."

"I'm calling for a freakin' cab!" shouted Aurora.

"Well, do it faster then!"

Aurora rolled her eyes. It took a while, but she managed to dial in the number for the cab service. "Hi, uh, can I get a cab to…?" She trailed off, and put her hand over the speaker. "Where the hell are we?" she asked Mulan.

Mulan simply shrugged.

Unconcerned, Aurora returned to the call. "Umm... Some dodgy nightclub in the middle of nowhere. You know the one."

"Sorry, ma'am. Could you be a little more specific?" The woman on the other end questioned further.

Aurora hung up before answering. She then joined Mulan, who was now sitting alone on the steps.

"How are you feeling?" asked Aurora.

"Drunk," said Mulan. She released a rather loud and unfeminine belch.

"Me too," said Aurora, gleefully. "It's awesome. Walking around without giving a single fuck."

"Apart from the feeling of needing to barf, then yeah, it's great."

Further down the road, a cab beeped its horn.

"That was fast," noted Aurora. However, all faith was lost as they spotted an old lady making her way towards it. "Shit, Mulan. That woman is stealing our cab! What are we gonna do?"

"There's only one thing we can do." And with that, Mulan darted towards the cab.

Aurora called out for her, but there was no use. Mulan wasn't listening. Scoffing at her friend's determination, all Aurora could do was chase after her. They both touched the door handle at the same time. Entering the cab, they watched as the old lady outside cried out "Hey!" and flipped them off.

Feeling accomplished, the two girls smirked and chuckled at each other.

"Excuse me; I believe that this cab was for that wo-"

"Shut your pie hole!" scolded Mulan.

The driver pulled a face. "Listen, ladies. It's been an awfully long day. All I ask for at this late hour is for a little respect."

"R-E-S-P-E-C-T," sang Aurora and Mulan simultaneously. "Find out what it means to me. R-E-S-P-E-C-T."

"For God's Sake—I have a headache!"

"Take us to our destination, taximan," demanded Mulan.

"Unless you want another round of the lovely Aretha Franklin," added Aurora.

The driver grumbled to himself. "Where do you want to go?"

"Home," said Aurora.

"Where do you live?"

"Personal question, much."

The driver cursed under his breath. "Stop being so ridiculous."

"I think I'm gonna be sick…" mumbled Mulan. She opened the door just in the nick of time. The vomiting noise was horrific to Aurora and the driver's ears.

"I really hope your house is nearby," said the driver.

* * *

><p>Compared to ten minutes ago, the mood in the taxi had mellowed. Mulan was still nauseous, and the bumpiness of the roads weren't doing her so good. Silence filled the cab, much to the pleasure of the driver.<p>

Aurora was scratching her at palm, a habit she donned when anxious. She did have something to get off her chest. Now that the atmosphere was calm, it was the perfect time to say what was on her mind.

"Mulan, c-can I tell you something?" she stuttered.

"Sure. I'm all ears," said Mulan, her voice draining. Her head was rested upon the car door, her eyes barely open.

"I haven't been completely honest with you. There was a reason why I said I wasn't up to going out tonight. I went to the doctor's today, and well…" Aurora built up her courage. Looking down at her lap, unable to make eye contact, she convinced herself that she could do this. "I-I can't have children."

She bit her lip. Now that the words were out, she felt her eyes water. "We've been trying to get pregnant for months, but nothing came out of it." Aurora continued. "When my doctor confirmed what we had already feared… I broke down. I couldn't handle it. Phillip was devastated more than anything. When I told him, he just sat there for a couple of minutes, before standing up and telling me it was over. For good, this time. He walked out, slammed the door, and that's when the tears started flooding down again. All I could do was just drink. I kept drinking until you called me. When I told you I wasn't coming, I regretted it later, so I called a cab. Upon arriving I saw a couple walking down the street with a stroller. A sudden feeling of envy overcame my body. I got a drink, and just hid in the restroom. I don't know why I lied to you. I should have told you the truth right away. I'm so sorry. I'm a horrible friend."

Awaiting Mulan's response, it dawned on Aurora that she had been rambling. She tended to do that when nervous, along with the palm itching. Aurora turned to her friend. Of course, Mulan had been sleeping the entire time. It was okay though. Nobody really tended to listen to Aurora anyway. She was used to being ignored. She wasn't as brainy as Belle, as flirtatious as Ruby or as loyal as Mulan. Her only known quality was her motherly nature. If she couldn't be a mother, what could she be? Honestly, she didn't know what her future held, if it didn't involve having children.

* * *

><p>Back at Aurora's place, Mulan seemed fascinated by every little ornament displayed above the fireplace. She lifted a white one that had an obscure shape. It fit with Aurora's artistic persona, and decorative manner. "Penis," chuckled Mulan.<p>

Aurora sighed. It wasn't a penis; it was art. Art intrigued Aurora. Not necessarily the painting kind, per se, but the physical, peculiar kind that others claim as odd, but Aurora viewed as imaginative. Sculpture, for example, fascinated Aurora. Phillip wasn't at all interested, saying that the whole idea of fine art was poppycock, but Aurora ignored him. She used to imagine taking her son/daughter to art museums, teaching them the history of each sculptor or artist. They too would be engrossed in all of the wonders of art. Now, that was merely a fantasy. A dream that could never come true.

The way Mulan held the objects made it seem like she was going to drop them. It nerved Aurora. "Please, put them down. They're really expensive," said Aurora.

Mulan scowled, the ornament remaining loosely in her hand "Miss Bossy Pants."

"I'm serious."

Groaning dramatically, Mulan placed the object back where it was. She then blew a raspberry at Aurora, childishly.

"Look, you're welcome to sleep on the couch, said Aurora. "Just don't drool over my silk cushion covers, alright?"

"I don't drool,"

"Puh-lease. The cab door you were leaning on was practically covered in saliva."

"Ew. Nice mental image. Remember, I vomited less than half an hour ago."

"Don't remind me. The sheer memory is making me want to vomit right now."

"Hey, could you get me a bucket? You know, in case I throw up in the middle of the night and ruin your precious cushions."

"One vomit bucket coming up…" Before Aurora left the room, she watched as Mulan set herself down on the couch. "And lay on your side!" she commanded.

...

Picking up the bucket from her ensuite bathroom, Aurora caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Being the first time she'd seen her reflection all night, she was startled. She looked rough, to say the least. Her eyes were red and puffy, mascara ran down her cheeks. Her skin was blotchy as she didn't have the time to do her foundation. Her appearance pretty much summed up her emotions. She didn't care anymore. There was nothing in life to aim for. Who cared whether she looked pretty or not? None of it mattered.

Tired, restless and utterly broken by the endless day, she began to sob. She let herself collapse to the ground, falling to her knees, letting loose all of the feelings she had bottled up. She grieved over the children that never existed in reality, but had existed in her dreams. The dreams of being a mother, caring for a child she called her own. Yet nature had other things in mind. The world was cruel, and relentless. Her hopes and dreams had been destroyed in the timespan of one day. There was nothing worth living for anymore.

Aurora returned to the living room with the sick bucket, only to discover that Mulan was already asleep. Frankly, it was amazing how quickly Mulan dozed off. Aurora smiled at the sight. Mulan held one of the cushions to chest. It was most likely half out of comfort, half to annoy Aurora. Her legs dangled off the couch, and her mouth was open slightly. She looked so content, so peaceful. The complete opposite of Aurora. Mulan wasn't a silent sleeper, either. She was a quiet snorer, but a snorer nonetheless. It was a cute snore, though. All the muscles in her face and body were totally at peace, the only movement being her chest as she slowly inhaled and exhaled. Something about the innocence upon her face assured Aurora that there was still some hope left in the world.

Even when placing the sick bucket at her best friend's side, Aurora's smile did not fade. Maybe there was something worth living for after all.


	9. Chapter 9: Partners In Crime

While her full body weight remained upon the lower half of Ruby's body, Belle couldn't help but laugh hysterically. Ruby could only attempt to struggle free, yet it was no use. She was stuck.

"Let me go!" cried Ruby.

Belle snorted, only furthering the nonstop laughter. Unable to speak between the giggles, she shook her head twice. To Belle, at that moment in time, it was the funniest thing in the whole world.

"Seriously, get off of me!" demanded Ruby, a smile creeping upon her lips. She couldn't be angry at Belle for long; it was impossible. It had been that way all along. No matter what Belle had done, Ruby always brought herself to forgive her.

"Nu-uh. What's the magic word?" teased Belle.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Please."

"Nope."

"Pretty please?"

"This isn't pre-school."

Ruby huffed in defeat. "I give up."

Belle leaned in close to Ruby's ear, and whispered the words delicately, making Ruby's entire body tingle.

When Belle pulled away, Ruby sighed, then proceeded to say in monotone, "Fine. Belle French is the hottest sex God in the galaxy. Worship her, or be fed to the dolphins."

Belle smirked. "Nicely done, Lucas."

"Can you get off me now?" asked Ruby, exasperated.

"You're no fun." Belle staggered as she stood, before helping Ruby to her feet.

"How _dare_ you? I am fun!" Ruby waggled her finger in Belle's face, in a scolding manner. "I'll-I'll prove it to you."

Scanning the area, Ruby began to regret her smugness. OK, maybe she hadn't thought this through. But she had to prove to Belle that she still was the wild, mischievous old Ruby that Belle knew and loved.

Luck was on her side as Ruby eyed an unsuspecting couple down the street. Bingo. She darted towards them, yelling at them to stop. She managed to catch up with them, confusion sparking in the pair of their eyes. Ruby immediately linked her left arm with the boy's right, and her right with the girl's left. "Heeeey, guys," Ruby enthused confidently, grinning wide at the pair of them.

The boy arched an eyebrow, while the girl smiled meekly. "Where are you two lovely people going on such a fine evening?" asked Ruby.

"I'm just going back to his place," said the girl, nervously. "Nothing special."

"Oh! A date, huh? How exciting!" Ruby cocked her head closer the boy, and said in a not-so hushed tone. "Going by that slut's outfit, it looks like you're getting lucky tonight, dude."

The offended girl shot Ruby a sharp look. When the girl attempted to unlink Ruby, Ruby simply relinked it again.

"I have an idea!" exclaimed Ruby. "Why don't me and my friend come, and keep you two company?"

"We're perfectly fine, thank you," the boy spoke in a gruff tone. It was obvious he was hoping for some private time with the girl.

"Come _on!_" whined Ruby. "Don't be such a bore. The more the merrier, right?"

Outraged, the girl struggled free of Ruby's grasp, and stormed away. The boy followed, leaving a disappointed Ruby watching them both walk away.

"Maybe next time, huh?" Ruby shouted at them. Unsurprisingly, there was no response. Ruby pouted her bottom lip.

"That went rather well," commented Belle.

Ruby turned to see her standing directly behind her, arms folded. "People these days," Ruby scoffed, too folding her arms. "So unopen to new experiences."

"Unlike us," said Belle. She approached Ruby, then pulled her closer, until their lips were millimeters away. "We are always up for a little adventure." She licked her lips, and then bit down, hard.

Ruby was left breathless. "Sh-Shall we, um…?" she pathetically stumbled over her words. Her mind was jelly. She couldn't think.

"I don't know about you, but I fancy another drink. Shall we head back down to the bar?" suggested Belle.

Ruby nodded. Every moment she spent with Belle she fell more and more in love with her. Maybe it was cheesy, but it was the truth. But now that Belle returned the feelings, and they'd had sex, it didn't hurt so much anymore. For once, Ruby was actually happy. It was an amazing feeling.

"So you stole his wallet, _and_ his credit card?"

"Yep. Well, the credit card was in the wallet, but I did steal it."

"Damn, Lucas," Belle chuckled to herself, shaking her head. She lifted drink she had not long ago ordered, and took a sip. "A criminal past is some pretty hot stuff."

"Y-You think so?" Ruby was doing everything in her power to impress Belle. Even if that did include telling bogus stories about a history of theft. In honesty, the bar probably wasn't the best place to expose tales like such. Nevertheless, nobody around seemed to care.

"Totally. It's a scientific fact that somebody who commits crimes becomes twenty-seven times hotter when they break the law. So, what's twenty-seven multiplied by infinity?"

"I'm not sure, but I'm guessing I'm hotter than the sun."

"Baby, don't belittle yourself. You're hotter than volcano lava on the sun."

Satisfied, Ruby didn't bother to hide her reddening cheeks. Belle was giving out compliments to her like hot cakes. She adored the attention.

An idea sparked into Ruby's mind. She loosened her shoulders, and spoke in her most seductive tone, "You like bad girls, Miss French."

"That is correct,"

"Since tonight is dedicated to showing the world our wild sides, I say we do something… memorable."

"You have my attention, Lucas."

Ruby leaned in close enough so she was sure nobody could hear. "Why don't we do a little bit of theft tonight? Steal a couple of wallets, get the adrenaline pumping."

The grin that formed upon Belle's lips confirmed her interest. "I like the sound of that."

"Basic rules are be sneaky, discreet, and nobody gets hurt. Meet me back here with your findings."

"See you in a few," Belle made her way through the crowd, observing the room for a target.

Ruby waited a few seconds, until she eyed a blonde walking to a booth, covered head to toe in sparkly clothing. There was something strange about her bag… the zipper was at least half open. _Dumbass, _Ruby thought to herself.

A feeling of determination washing over her, Ruby grabbed her drink, and began to make her way towards the mark. She timed it perfectly. As planned, Ruby bumped into the blonde, spilling her drink all the way down the front of the silver glittery dress. The blonde started screaming at her, while Ruby pretended to beg for forgiveness, discreetly edging her hand into the woman's half open bag.

Bitching as she went, the blonde stormed away, oblivious that she had just been robbed. Ruby looked down at her hand. A cell phone, and some old receipts. Good, but not good enough. She was after some cash. Ruby observed the dancefloor. She needed to locate drunkest partygoers in the club, before Belle got her hands on them first. It wasn't an easy task.

Just when Ruby was considering giving up, her eyes fell upon a nerdy looking guy. With his dreadful navy blue Hawaiian shirt, he awkwardly danced around, completely out of place. Naïve, hardly attractive and with a rectangular object sticking out of his back pocket, he was perfect.

Ruby pushed past the crowd towards him. When he was a few steps away, she took a breath. It was showtime.

"Hey, Hawaii!" she called at him.

The guy glanced towards her, then did a double take, surprised that she was actually talking to him. "Me?" he asked.

"Who else!" she exclaimed. She danced to the fast paced music, making her way towards him. "Dance with me, lover boy!"

The guy didn't question further, as he began to clumsily wave his hands in the air. Trying so hard not to roll her eyes, Ruby stayed in character and began to circle him, shaking her hips as she went. Everything was running smoothly. As she reached the place of the wallet, she discreetly grabbed it, and shoved it in her purse. The only minor thing was that now, she had to keep up the charade. She couldn't just say goodbye, and walk away, as that would look way too suspicious. She had to admit, she hadn't thought this out very well.

"What's your name?" the nerdy guy asked over the blasting music. He was trying to make conversation, something Ruby didn't wish to engage in.

"Ariel," replied Ruby, being the first name that came into her head. That way, if the guy later realized he had been robbed, the police would be looking for some girl named Ariel.

"Pretty name, for a pretty lady," the guy said. He sounded like he had a blocked nose, occasionally choking on his words. "Tell me, Ariel. What's a lovely lady like you doing dancing with a dork like me?"

"I thought you looked lonely, so I took the opportunity to come and talk to you."

The guy smiled. He looked genuinely happy, which made Ruby feel guilty. "Hey, how about I get you a drink…?"

As he reached for his wallet, Ruby panicked. She had to stop him. And fast. "Hoooow about we skip the drink, and just go have sex right now?"

The guy froze, and raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry?"

"You, me, dumpster. Five minutes." When the guy remained standing there, Ruby snapped, "Now! Go!"

Releasing Ruby of her anxiety, the guy scampered away. She made her way back to the bar. There, she saw that Belle already waiting for her, drink in hand.

"You were gone a while," commented Belle. "Difficult mark?"

"Sometimes, it's good to linger after a dance to avoid suspicion," said Ruby, as if she knew exactly what she was talking about. "Plus, the poor guy was desperate for a dance."

"Bless," Belle said sarcastically. "Now, show me the goods."

Ruby lifted each object one-by-one out of the purse, showing Belle a brief glimpse of each.

Belle examined the stolen wallet and phone. "Nice work. But I think I did better by far."

"Oh, really?" teased Ruby.

"I think you'll agree." Smile wide, Belle pulled a singular object out of her purse, giving Ruby a good view of it. Dangling from a metal silver hoop was a pair of car keys.

"You little thief!" laughed Ruby. Ruby snatched the stolen keys out of Belle's hands, and tugged them close to her chest so they were out of sight. "You crazy, crazy motherfucker."

"Hey, you wanted goods. I topped the list."

"What am I supposed to do with these?"

"It's obvious. We're going to steal the car, Dumbo."

"Are you kidding me? We can't do that!"

"We can!" argued Belle, the alcohol clouding her common sense. "We've got the keys, you've got a license.

"But-"

"Stop. You want to live a carefree life." Belle leaned in close to Ruby. "Live a little."

All doubt and hesitation gradually faded from Ruby's mind. She knew she had to this. For Belle.

"I can't believe we're actually going through with this," said Ruby upon the arrival to the parking lot.

"I can't believe you're still complaining about it," replied Belle. "Hurry up, and press the button."

_Damn you, Belle._ Ruby thought. _Damn you with your beautiful face, your amazing hair, and your irresistible smell… _She was getting distracted. Back in check with reality, she clicked the car keys button. 

_Click. _Nearby, a red 1975 Camaro's lights flickered. Belle and Ruby exchanged glances. Now, the fun began.

Exactly thirteen minutes later, the fun ended when Ruby crashed the car directly into a lone tree. Fortunately, neither of them was hurt. The car had taken most of the damage.

"Stupid fucking tree," grumbled Ruby, slamming the cardoor shut. She approached Belle, who was smoking a cigarette, glancing indifferently at the damage. Something seemed to be on her mind.

"We should go. We don't want to risk getting into any trouble," said Ruby.

Not bothering to look in Ruby's direction, Belle simply waved a hand. "A couple of minutes."

"Are you OK?"

Belle didn't reply.

"Belle?"

"_What?_" Belle snapped, glaring at her.

Ruby was taken aback. "I was just asking what's wrong."

"I'm fine; just leave me alone."

There were seconds of silence. Desperate to comfort her best friend, Ruby made her way towards Belle. "Tell me what's wrong, or a tickle war shall presume."

Belle smiled, and looked down at her feet. "You know I hate getting tickled."

"Better talk quickly then," taunted Ruby. Without warning, Ruby began tickling Belle's waist, causing Belle to squeal.

"Stop!" begged Belle. "Please, stop!"

"Not until you tell me what's wrong!"

"OK, OK, I'll tell you!"

Ruby stopped tickling, and laced her's and Belle's hands together. "You can tell me anything," ensured Ruby.

Belle smiled. Her eye's then fell upon the destroyed car behind Ruby. "…We need to get out of here."

"No, wait-"

"Your place is down the road. Race you there."

Before Ruby could say any more, Belle was already rushing down the street.

Ruby sighed, and began running. "I'm a faster runner than you!"

"Prove it, slow coach!" called Belle.

The night had had its ups and downs. Now the sun was coming up, and morning was nearing. There was a lot of mess that needed to be cleared up. Memories that needed to be either unfolded, or soon forgotten. Either way, it certainly was a night neither would forget.


	10. Chapter 10: Tongue-Tied

When Mulan first opened her eyes, she prayed that it was all a dream. The catastrophic night was a fuzzy haze, which she could not recall most of. Her mind awakening slowly, she examined her location. She recognized it as Aurora's sitting room. The couch had been a rough, bumpy example of a bed, but the cushions were silk, and ridiculously comfortable.

As Mulan slowly eased herself off the couch, Aurora entered the room, a wide smile spread across her face. Dressed in a cute pair of pink checkered pajamas, she carried a tray full of bacon, sausages, toast and baked beans. Aurora was the type to go overboard to make a guest feel comfortable. "Did you sleep well?" she asked, placing the breakfast onto the coffee table next to Mulan.

"I guess," replied Mulan. She then turned to the food. "What's all this for?"

"I made you a fry-up. Minus the egg, of course. The day you eat eggs is the day the zombies attack."

Mulan arched an eyebrow. "When did I say that?"

"A-A while ago," said Aurora, clearly embarrassed that she remembered a dumb phrase that Mulan had briefly mentioned months ago. She hoped she wasn't blushing. "We were discussing with Ruby and Belle our least favorite foods."

"Yours is broccoli, right?" said Mulan. Honestly, she didn't need the confirmation. She always remembered the significant details about Aurora.

"Right. And Belle's is dark chocolate, while Ruby's are lemons."

"Seriously? Ruby wouldn't stop talking about lemons last night."

Aurora shrugged. "Me thinks she was obsessing over a different type of lemon," she said in a low, suggestive tone.

The realization dawning on her, all Mulan could say was a stressed "_Oh._"

Aurora chuckled at the stupidity of her friend. Then, her mind unexpectedly reeled back to the previous night. Unable to preserve the positive image she had visualized when seeing Mulan sleeping content, she had spent the night silently sobbing into her pillow, feeling hollow and worthless. She didn't sleep a wink. Her dream of raising a family was too good to be true.

"Are you OK?" asked Mulan, concerned over Aurora's sudden and unusual silence.

"Yeah, yeah," nodded Aurora. "I'm fine."

"You don't seem fine. Have you been crying?"

Aurora's eyes stung like hell, so they were most likely red and puffy. She concealed the tears that were forming in her eyes, instead faking a wide smile, and trying her best to maintain the happy, optimistic image that Mulan would not question further. "Allergies," said Aurora, indifferently pointing at her eyes, attempting a joke out of the scenario.

"I know you're lying to me," said Mulan.

Aurora bit her lip. A person calling out her lies was an awful feeling. It racked her up with guilt, and made her immediately want to take it back.

"You don't have to lie to me, Aurora." Mulan put a comforting hand on Aurora's shoulder. "We can talk about this. Get everything off your chest."

"Not to be rude, or anything, Mulan, but this is none of your concern. These are my issues, and I have to deal with them alone."

"What's the point of suffering alone when you can tell other people, and there's a possibility that they could help you? I know it's difficult. You would be such a perfect mother. But you and Phillip can keep on trying. Never give up, right?"

Of course, Mulan just had to be asleep when Aurora had poured her heart out in the taxi. Because of this, Mulan was only aware of the fact that Aurora believed she was pregnant, but had got a negative on her test. Now that she was sober again, Aurora was in no state of mind to tell Mulan any of her tragic backstory. However, she supposed that Mulan deserved to hear a portion of truth. "I've been thinking last night, and I'm not sure if I want kids after all."

Mulan's eyes widened. "You've got to be shitting me right now."

"No joke, I'm serious. I always thought having kids was my future. Maybe this is fate telling me it's not. Maybe there's a better destiny out there for me."

"Aurora, ever since I've known you, all you've ever talked about is being a mother one day. Now, you expect me to believe that it's all in the past."

"Don't you get it? It _is_ in the past. I'm not in a fit state to have a child right now, anyway. Look at me, I'm a mess."

"You're anything but a mess. Stop denying the fact that your destiny is to have and raise a child."

Aurora's cheeks reddened with anger. How dare Mulan talk to her like that? The only person in control of her destiny was her. "You're not the boss of me. Consider the possibility that anticipating having a child has held me back all these years. My passion for art, sculpture, interior design went down the drain, just so I could be a stay at home to-be Mom."

Speechless, it took a few seconds for Mulan to respond in a softer tone. "You know exactly who held you back from your dreams?"

Looking down in embarrassment from her rant, Aurora exhaled. "Phillip."

"Exactly. He's not the one for you, honey. You know that, too."

Tears welled up in Aurora's eyes. This time, she let them fall. Mulan pulled her in for a long hug.

"I just want to be happy," said Aurora, choking on the sobs.

"I know. I know," comforted Mulan.

…

Across the town, Ruby's apartment was completely silent as the two girls lay in bed. Next to each other. Naked.

Both were filled with confusion and anxiety. Neither had spoken a single word as they stared up at the ceiling, struggling to fit all of the pieces of the night back together. Whoever had woken up first had no urge to awake the other. Only one thing was important: nobody could know what they had done.

This was so bad. How could they have slept with each other? _Twice._ Double the action, double the mistake. They had a serious dilemma.

After what felt like decades of silence, Belle turned her head, and at last spoke up. "Did last night mean anything to you?"

Ruby's eyes remained fixated upwards. She couldn't bear to look Belle in the eye. "I… don't know."

The words sunk in. It was as if Belle had been punched in the stomach. Without hesitation, she proceeded to collect her things and begin to get dressed.

Ruby sat up in the bed. "What are you doing?"

"Leaving before something else tragic happens. Wouldn't want that, would we?"

Ruby thought back to the night for a moment. "Did we steal my car?"

Putting on her boots, Belle narrowed her eyes in thought, before nodding.

Ruby groaned from the pit of her stomach, repetitively slapping her forehead. "_Fuck!_ What were we thinking? I'm not even insured." She then remembered the events beforehand. "Hey, I gave the keys to you to look after. You're the one who claimed they were stolen."

"I thought they were! I grabbed a load of stuff from this slut's bag into mine, skedaddled, then assumed the keys were hers."

"How didn't we recognize the car was mine?"

"We were totaled. Go figure."

Ruby sighed. Though her car was a huge concern, it didn't beat the situation with Belle. "_Please_ stay for a while so we can talk about last night," Ruby practically begged her.

"You're not supposed to stay in contact with one-night stands," sneered Belle, sarcasm on her tongue.

"It wasn't a one-night stand."

Belle froze midway putting her blazer on, intrigued. "What was it, then?"

"I don't know. It meant _something_, I just don't know what."

"So, what, are we a couple now, or something?" mocked Belle.

Her arms crossed, knees tugged close to her bare chest, all Ruby could do was shrug. She was so confused, unable to comprehend anything that was happening. "We need to talk about this. Maybe if we do, we can figure out if we would work as a couple.

Hesitant, Belle slowly sat back down on the bed. She solemnly looked up at Ruby. Seriousness lay in her eyes. "For the longest time, I've always noticed you. Not in a 'I would' way but in a 'You fascinate me' way." The next words took a while for Belle to bring herself to say. "I don't want to lose you to some crumby one night stand."

Ruby hadn't realized that as Belle had spoken, her breath had been held all the way through. As if Ruby's emotions hadn't already been mixed enough, now she was utterly disorientated by the whole situation. She knew exactly what she wanted to say. "I understand completely" "You're my everything" "I love you" But no words came out. All she could do was stare in complete perplexity, praying that she wouldn't lose the one person who truly mattered to her.

"I think that we need some space for a while." The words hurt to say, but Belle knew they had to be said. It was best, after all. "To figure out just what this is. Is that OK with you?"

To Ruby, nothing was OK right now. Nothing was fine, and nothing ever would be until she and Belle were together again. The last thing she wanted was for them to keep apart. She wanted to be with Belle every second of the day, until the end of time. Her love for this girl was indestructible.

But being apart was what Belle wanted. She had to serve Belle's wants and needs prior her own. "OK," was all Ruby could manage.

Accepting, Belle took the rest of her things, then left the apartment. The second the door was closed, on cue, Ruby felt empty again. The same state she had always been in whenever Belle wasn't there. This time, the gaping feeling could not be mended. So long as Belle was out of her life, Ruby would not be able to be herself again. As cheesy as it sounded, Belle completed her. There was nothing on Earth that could shake the phenomenon of being in love with the Australian bookworm who would forever be on her mind.

Ruby tried her best to hold onto the hope that Belle would come back soon, confess her true feelings, and they'd live happily ever after. There was one problem: Ruby had never been quite an optimist.


	11. Chapter 11: Carefree

That morning should have been a typical Sunday morning. A lazy day, in which Belle would usually spend the day reading in blankets. Last night had changed everything. It was impossible to relax when she could be possibly losing her best friend forever.

Wrapped up warm in a dark blue coat, Belle was headed towards her local coffee shop. Though she recovered from her hangover quickly enough, she decided to go out to clear her head. She supposed the brisk winter air could do her some good.

Ever since the beginning, Belle had always felt a strong connection to Ruby. She was convinced that the connection was purely platonic. Little did she know that the attraction was romantic.

Belle had always kept a strong barrier between her friends and her lovers, cautious that the two would never cross and create complications. Because of last night, the barrier had been completely destroyed. She had let her guard down, welcoming the problems she knew deep inside would ultimately form.

Entering the coffee shop, and being welcomed by the warm, inviting air, she approached the counter. As she ordered her usual latte, she locked eyes with a familiar face. She thought it would be rude if she didn't approach them, thus she grabbed her drink, and walked over.

"Billy, right?" said Belle, forcing a friendly smile on her face. "From last night."

Differing from the night before, Billy was not the charming, charismatic man he was previously. Instead, he wore a solemn look upon his weary face. His eyes had bags under them, and he held a jumbo coffee in his hand. "And you are?" he snarled.

"Belle, remember? I set you up with my friend."

"That's right. The friend who ditched me, right before we were about to get it on? I remember now." He shook his head, closing his eyes. "Thanks a lot for that."

"I'm sorry about that. She was going through some really serious stuff."

Billy stood, and chuckled. The laugh seemed humorless, rather than amused. "She's not the only one. I needed to get laid. After that disaster, no girls were willing to hop on my pogo stick."

Belle grimaced. It was such a lovely thing to hear so early in the morning.

"I can't believe that slut friend of yours didn't want a piece of me!" exclaimed Billy. "Look at me- I have the looks, the charm. What else could a girl ask for?"

"Her name is _Ruby_," corrected Belle, clenching her fists, doing everything in her power to control the sudden feeling of anger that had washed over her. How dare he insult Ruby like that? "You can't blame her. Maybe you've lost your game."

"_Excuse me?_" Billy's eyes grew wide, his nostrils flaring. "Do you have any idea who I am?"

"You're Billy, you're a mechanic, and your breath smells like bacon."

"Go to hell."

"Perhaps the reason you can't get laid is because all the ladies you go after are vegetarians. Seriously, take a mint."

"I'll end you, bitch."

"Bring it on, big shot."

Before the argument could continue any further, the two were interrupted by sudden sound of somebody clapping originating from the other side of the room. Belle turned her head towards the location of the sound, and her entire body froze.

There she stood. She whom Belle assumed never wanted to speak to her again. She slowly clapped her hands, not caring that people all around were staring at her. It was clear that she wanted the attention; she wanted Belle to look at her.

"Apologies for interrupting your little spat," said Ruby, with little sincerity in her voice, "but I believe I have to have a word with Miss. French."

Receiving a glare from Billy as she went, Belle followed Ruby to outside the shop.

"What the hell was that?" asked Ruby. Her voice quivered with anger.

"What the hell was what? He was disrespecting you, so I stood up for you." Belle shot back.

"That wasn't you, Belle. You don't argue. You walk away."

"I argue if I'm defending somebody I care about."

Belle studied Ruby's face, trying to decipher what she was feeling. The seconds of silence ate away at her. Belle wished she had never approached Billy in the first place. Then, she wouldn't have bumped into Ruby, and would just be enjoying a nice latte right now. Why couldn't she just avoid all of the complications? Karma was controlling fate right now, wanting revenge for all the mistakes she had made in the past.

"I can't stay mad at you forever." Ruby finally said. "Anger is the only way I can cope with this. How I can cope with you not loving me in the way I want you to. I can't lose you to some crumby one night stand. You're my best friend, and I have to accept the fact as a couple, we would never work."

It took a while for Belle to process the words. It was a lot to take in. They came truly from the heart, and it obviously took a lot of courage for Ruby to say them. "Ruby, you don't have to—"

"No. I do. I have to get this off my chest," interrupted Ruby, tears forming in her eyes. "I am hopelessly in love with you, Belle. Nothing will ever change how I feel about you. If I could, I would get rid of these feelings, because I know that our friendship is going to be irreparable after this. I can't hide this from you anymore. I can't walk around, praying that one day we're magically going to end up today. I know that is never going to happen, so I can't fool myself into believing it any longer. Without you, there is nothing for me to live for. You mean everything to me."

Though she hadn't realized she was getting emotional, a tear slid down Belle's cheek. Rule number 1 for her was never get emotionally attached to a one night stand. But Ruby was so much more than a one night stand. She was her best friend, who she could trust with her life. No matter what, Ruby always had her back.

"I-I should just go, before I fuck anything else up," stammered Ruby.

Before she could leave, Belle grabbed her arm. "Wait," Belle said.

Time stood still. Belle brought her lips closer and closer to her best friend's. There were no complications to stumble over. They were immaculate, and were perfect for each other. Belle hadn't realized it until now, but without Ruby, darkness clouded her life. Ruby was the only thing that could keep her smiling.

Their lips touched. It was passionate, sensational, and more importantly, both were completely sober. It wasn't some drunken mistake; it was a decision that they knew was right. As the kiss endured, Ruby began to stroke Belle's cheek with her left hand, while Belle's hands rested on Ruby's hips.

"Wow," was the only thing Ruby could say, when they eventually pulled away. "That was…"

"I know," agreed Belle. "I'm sorry, that was so sudden."

"Don't apologize, it's fine. I did basically just confess my undying love for you, after all."

"So, we've just made out, and neither of us is drunk, or high," Belle pulled a face, considering. "Does that make us a couple now?"

Ruby blushed. "I don't want you to force you into anything that you're not comfortable with. It's your call."

Belle intertwined her fingers with Ruby's. The second she did, Belle felt relaxed and safe. All of her troubles melted away. She never wanted to let go. She didn't even have to consider her next words. "Let's be adventurous."

Pure joy and utter bewilderment settled upon Ruby's face. Her smile grew wider and wider, her eyes lighting up in delight. "Are-Are you sure?" she stumbled over her words.

"Adventure lies ahead. We're gonna have some ups, some downs, but overall, we're not going to regret it."

"But, what if it doesn't work out?"

"Have optimism. Besides, no matter what happens, you're always going to be my best friend."

For the first time in both their lives, they both felt genuinely happy. Twists and turns lay ahead, an unmissable combination of laughter, romance and sex. So many stories lay ahead, and it was only just the beginning. The story of their first date, their engagement, their marriage, their first child. The supposedly meaningless one night stand had meant so much more that neither had anticipated. Both had been so confused, but that was all over now. Now, their future was an open door. Unlimited possibilities lay ahead. They would go on to travel around the world, with Belle's career path of journalism opening up jobs in the likes of Spain, Japan and Argentina. They both craved adventure. And that is what they got.


	12. Chapter 12: Love Is Blind

The television blared in Aurora's pale-pink themed sitting room, though neither of the girls seemed interested into the reality show that was on. They both sat on opposite pristine white couches, wrapped in brown blankets, and curled into a ball. Aurora was in her pajamas, while Mulan was in her clothes from the night before. Their faded eyes were on the screen, but their thoughts were elsewhere. Aurora's mind was distracted by the disastrous day before. She had wiped the tears from her eyes, prepared to put on a strong face for Mulan's sake. However as much has she hated to admit it, it was difficult to prevent herself from crying again.

Dreams had been shattered into a million pieces. A quiet home with Phillip and her future kids was never meant to be. She had been telling herself all morning that she didn't need kids. For with children, her life would be held back. She could do bigger things without them. She could travel, or study at college. Run her own business, or start showing the world her art. The possibilities were endless.

Fate was a bitch. Aurora considered how many times the world had given her opportunities, but with them to just fade away. She denied the opportunity to go out with the girls a couple of months ago, secretly because she and Phillip had planned a special night in. It turned out Phillip had to work that night, anyway. The girls' night out was amazing; sparking the infamous incident of how Belle almost hooked up with a guy twice her age. Aurora missing the so-called unforgettable day made her feel left out in the group whenever it was mentioned.

Now that Phillip and her were over, it gave Aurora a variety of opportunities. He had never approved of her artwork, anyway, so now was her chance to show the world what she could do. And he hated her friends, though she would never tell them that. He called them sluts, and disapproved whenever Aurora hung out with them. Aurora had never realized just how much Phillip had controlled her life.

"So I have a black eye," Mulan butted in Aurora's daydream. "Care to explain how that happened?"

"I may or may not have got into a fight with a slut. And you may or may not have bailed me out of it, resulting in a punch from the slut's boyfriend."

Mulan nodded. "That explains this pounding sensation in my head. Did I win the fight?"

Aurora couldn't bear to tear away the anticipating, awaiting victory look upon Mulan's face. "You sure did," she said. It was indeed a lie, but for a perfectly good reason.

"Knew it," beamed Mulan. She punched the air in triumph. "I couldn't have let that son-of-a-bitch give me a black eye without a little payback."

To her to surprise, Aurora let out a little laugh. But then a thought ran through her mind. "Do you remember what happened after the fight? We were in the bathroom, and the barmaid brought in some ice packs. Do you remember that?"

"Can't say I do. Oh, god. What did I do?"

"Nothing-"

"Did I run around naked like a headless chicken?"

"No," chucked Aurora.

"Something _worse_?"

Still smiling, Aurora shook her head. "No nakedness. No chickens."

"It was something I said then. I said that I want to fuck somebody, didn't I? Was it Belle's Dad?"

Aurora controlled her laughter. "No, me."

Mulan froze. She hid her nervousness with an awkward laugh. "You?"

"Me," confirmed Aurora. "Well, not those words exactly. You told me you were in love with me."

The mood in the room drastically changed. Deep in thought, it was if Mulan had left the room entirely as she lost eye contact, her mouth dropping open in what appeared to be shock. She could not find herself to respond.

Aurora read Mulan's expression, and the smile fell from her face. "It wasn't true… was it?"

It took a few moments before Mulan could bring herself to reply. Then she tossed the blanket aside, stood and picked up her bag. "I have to go."

In a panic, Aurora had realized what she had done. "Wait, don't go!" she cried. "Please. We can talk."

"There's nothing to talk about," Mulan said, as she put her jacket on. Aurora noticed that Mulan's face had gone a bright red, and she was avoiding direct eye contact. "I just completely made a fool of myself."

"Just answer me, before it gets complicated. Was it true, or not?"

Mulan took a few sharp breaths. "OF COURSE IT WAS FUCKING TRUE!" she snapped, her voice breaking on the last syllable. "How could you be so fucking blind? All the signs were there. The way I can't stop staring at you. The way I can't not smile whenever you're around. I would rather fucking die than be apart from you! But, no. You ignore me, treat me like _shit. _Hide everything from me when I'm just trying to help. You wanna know my ambition in life? Your _motherfucking_ happiness. But you shut me away. You focus on yourself so much you can't see anyone else gets affected by what you do. So fuck you. Fuck you very much." With that, Mulan exited the apartment, and then slammed the door behind her.

Aurora could feel her heartbreaking. She felt so bleak, so hopeless. Every time she tried to fix something it destroyed something else. She had no idea she had made her best friend feel this way. No, she couldn't let Mulan just storm away. She had to fix it, no matter the consequences.

Aurora put on her dressing gown, and ran out of her apartment. She saw Mulan down the narrow, grey corridor. She had her hands in her pockets as she moved swiftly and furiously towards the elevator.

"Wait!" called Aurora. "I can fix this!"

As she continued down the corridor Mulan turned around briefly and glared directly at Aurora as if she were a speck of dirt. Never had Aurora seen such hurt and fury in her eyes. "Go fuck yourself," she said.

"Mulan, please!" Aurora wailed. She ran after her livid friend, and took hold of her hand so she stopped. "I'm so sorry. Please, I beg of you, give me another chance."

For a second, Aurora suspected a hint of sympathy in Mulan's face. But the anger once again returned, and Mulan yanked her hand free. Out of spite, she said nothing, and continued towards the elevator. She slammed the button on the wall, and the elevator came immediately. Mulan got in, and Aurora followed.

"Can you just listen to me for a minute?" said Aurora.

"Are you actually being serious right now? All I have done ever since I met you is listen. When was the last time you have given a shit about what_ I've_ had to say?"

"I've got flaws, okay? But I'll try and be a better person from now on."

"Yeah, you go ahead and 'try.'" Mulan air quoted the word 'try.' "After ten solid minutes, you'll be back to your 'me me me' old self."

Aurora could feel herself rise with anger. If condolence wasn't going to solve anything, maybe it was time to rant. "I'm sorry if I have problems. I'm sorry if I need support sometimes. I'm sorry that I try so hard to achieve my goals, all for me to just end up in the shitter. I'm sorry that I cry because I broke up with my boyfriend because I can't give him a child."

The elevator dinged, and the door opened, but neither stepped out. Mulan's expression softened. "W-what?"

"That negative I got on my test? It wasn't the first. So I'm choosing to stop trying to have kids, because I can't have them. Kids aren't my future. I have to accept that. So I apologize if I'm just the _slightest bit_ upset about that.

"Holy shit," breathed Mulan. Her hand wiped her forehead. Her breathing was calmer as she took in the news. "I'm- I can't- I'm sorry, Aurora, wow. That's massive. I just- I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have snapped; I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. That was so inconsiderate. I had- I didn't have the slightest clue what was going on. I'm so sorry."

"Well, now you fucking know," spat Aurora. She backed against the elevator wall, her arms folded.

"I can't—I can't even think about what to say. It's a lot to process, holy shit."

Aurora scoffed. "Tell me about it."

"Is—Is it definite?"

"There's like a three percent chance I could. Though that's next to nothing."

Mulan bit her lip. "There I was ranting about your selfishness, when now I'm the selfish one."

Aurora decided to shake it off. "You didn't know. It's not your fault."

"I'm so fucking sorry," Mulan apologized again. "Jesus Christ."

"Let's just forget about it now, alright? I don't wanna talk about it anymore."

Mulan let out a sharp breath through her teeth. "I can't believe-"

"_Don't,_" snapped Aurora.

"No, I'm saying I can't believe that I said what I said to you last night."

"But it was true?"

"It was," admitted Mulan, having the confidence to calmly confirm it without yelling this time. "But this wasn't how I planned to tell you."

"How was it planned?"

"Well, seeing as I'm as nervous as fuck, it wasn't planned at all. But if it did happen, I imagined it to be all romantic. We go out- eat a picnic, have a blast- and at the very end, you kiss me unexpectedly. And it's perfect, you know." Realizing where she was, Mulan snapped out of her cheesy fantasy. "It's silly," she laughed it off.

"It's sweet," smiled Aurora. "It's nice to know that you care about me this much."

"I wouldn't know," said Mulan, but her words were not for self-pity. She wiped tears forming from her eyes. "Nobody seems to give a shit about a shy girl like me."

Aurora pushed herself away from the wall, and took Mulan's hands. This time, Mulan did not walk away. "I may not show it, but I certainly give a shit about you."

Mulan chuckled amongst the sobs. "Would it be totally weird and friendship ruining if I kissed you now?"

"Depends how bad of a kisser you are," joked Aurora.

It wasn't the most romantic of situations. Both were in tears, emotional and both of them still had morning breath. But despite the arguments, and the problems, and the fact they were in a cramped elevator, it was indeed perfection. Not perfection in the sense that it was flawless, because everything and everybody has flaws. Most flaws may be on display or hidden within, but who cares? Loving a person meant accepting their flaws, and embracing everything about who they were. The kiss was not flawless- in fact far from it- but the way that both of them felt as it lasted proved that it was memorable.

When it was time for Mulan to pull away, her eyes blinked open slowly. "Wow," was all she said.

"Was it like you had imagined?" asked Aurora.

"Better," said Mulan, still lost in her trance. "So much better."

Their lips simultaneously touched again, this kiss increasing in passion and lust.

"This… is… so weird," said Mulan, as she pulled away for breath.

"So fucking weird," agreed Aurora, but she did not stop.

"I've… been waiting for this… for so long."

"Me too," Aurora breathed heavily. "I just… didn't know it."

"Have you ever… had sex in… an elevator?"

"No."

"Do you… want to?"

"I have a feeling… we're about to."

They pulled away with an identical mischievous look in their eyes.


	13. Chapter 13: The Epilogue

Three years later.

The diner was unchanged, minus the fact that the booth that once contained four wild, loud girls who always got shushed was replaced with three mature adults, whom had finally settled down.

"Belle's Birthday meal," said Ruby. Her red streaks were long gone, and her long dark hair was straight and held back with a thin hairband. Replacing her old, risqué outfits, she wore a red checkered blouse, and jeans. Her makeup was light, while she wore comfortable sneakers. "We need to make tonight memorable."

"Memorable?" questioned Aurora. There wasn't much changed about her, besides the regular smile she wore whenever she and Mulan were together, or even the mere thought of her other half. "Please,_ please_ no flashing our tits again."

"Oh, come on. Admit that _was_ funny," defended Ruby. Though she had sworn she was a mature lady now, there were a few occasions that she would drink too much. This would result in occasions such as Belle's birthday the previous year, when they all had a shot too many, and flashed a group of tourists. Ruby swore that a couple of them actually enjoyed it.

"Funny or not, I'm not doing it this time."

"Bore. That wasn't even involved in my original plan, but just for that Little Miss Prude, there may be a few surprises in store."

"Oh god," Aurora laughed and covered her face with her hands, knowing she had lead herself in for this.

Smirking, Ruby turned her attention to Mulan. "What about you? Are you willing to flash those babies?"

Mulan's eyes searched the ceiling for an answer. She, too, was noticeably happier and more talkative when in the group. She pouted her bottom lip, and exhaled. "Depends how many drinks I've had."

"I'll get you drunk," grinned Aurora. She winked, and then playfully slapped Mulan on the thigh.

"You two are gross," groaned Ruby. She leaned back on the chair, and deliberately looked away elsewhere. They may have been her best friends, but public affection was a big no-no.

"It's love, shitface," replied Mulan. Her daydreaming eyes did not leave Aurora as she spoke.

"It's disgusting."

A sleep deprived brunette carrying a one year old girl in her arms entered the diner. She was dressed in old grey mustard stained sweats as she headed towards the booth, attempting her best smile. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," said Ruby. "Apart from the fact that these lovebirds won't stop oogling at each other."

"We've explained that it's love," said Aurora. "But she still says it's gross."

"You used to look at me like that, Ruby," snapped Belle. "Remember that?" She handed baby Ariel to her Aunt Aurora, and then stormed towards the counter.

Mulan arched an eyebrow. "Have you two had a fight?" she asked Ruby.

"You could say that," said Ruby, almost casually. "We've been fighting for a while now, and I was hoping that her big Birthday meal would make it up to her."

"Do you really think she's gonna come to the meal if she's pissed at you like?" asked Aurora.

Ruby considered, freezing in her slouch. "Good point," she said, before scampering off towards the counter.

Mulan smiled, and shook her head at Ruby's lack of common sense. She went to say something to Aurora, but she stopped when she noticed how focused she was on little Ariel. She cradled her in both arms, admiring her with such tender care. Mulan could easily recognize Aurora's motherly face. The melting eyes and the gentle smile upon her face meant only one thing. It was the expression that would instantly appear whenever Aurora held a baby, or even saw one on TV. It was as if she was fascinated by the very appearance of the infant.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" commented Mulan.

Aurora took a minute before she finally spoke. "So beautiful," she said dreamily.

"Baby," Mulan clapsed Aurora's hand within her palms. Distracted from her fantasy, Aurora's attention immediately snapped back to Mulan. "About the kids thing-"

Aurora scoffed. She looked away and pulled back her hand. They had had this conversation too many times.

"You can tell me if you've changed your mind," reminded Mulan. "It's okay. It's not too late."

"I have not changed my mind," Aurora had authority in her tone, and scrunched her nose as she spoke. She spat the words as if they were vermin. "I am not fit to be a mother."

"Have you seen yourself? You're caring for that child as if she were your own. Look at her."

Aurora glanced down at Ariel. The red-haired freckled toddler was giggling as she played with a lock of Aurora's light brown hair. Aurora couldn't help but smile at the girl. "You're right," she said. "She is beautiful."

"I'm right about this being the perfect time for us to adopt," promoted Mulan. "_You_ know it's the right time. You know that you'd be a wonderful mother."

Aurora smiled for a while longer, before realization dawned on her, and she began to hyperventilate in panic. "What if I screw it up?" Her whole body shook, as her eyes shifted between Mulan and Ariel. "What if it doesn't stop crying and I don't know what it wants? What if this is just one huge big mistake?"

Mulan stroked her hand against Aurora's burning cheek. "Relax," she breathed, the word soft and comforting. "You don't need to worry about any of those things. Motherly instincts will guide the way."

"Okay," Aurora's breathing slowed back to normal. She exhaled then closed her eyes as Mulan's gentle fingers continued to stroke her cheek.

"So," Mulan began. She spoke at a slow pace, careful not to alarm Aurora. "I won't push you anymore if you say no. I'll understand, and the subject will be forgotten. Are you ready to be a mother?"

There was not much to think about. The answer had been in the back of Aurora's mind for the longest time. It was obvious to Aurora; she was just so scared to admit it. She was too frightened admit it to herself, let alone everybody else. But it had been three years since that night she had decided to put an end to that part of her. A lot had changed since then. Her art shows were an unbelievable success, but the big career breaking trips were done, and apart from the odd art show here and there, there was nothing major coming up for her for at least the next couple of years. She had made her name, earned money she and Mulan could happily live on, and now was the time to welcome a future. Hers and Mulan's future. Settled. Happy. Together. "I'm ready," she said.

…

"Belle, wait!"

"No. I am sick and tired of hearing the same thing every single time from you, Ruby. I will _not _stand it any longer."

Ariel in her arms, Belle was storming down the road, in an attempt to get away from Ruby, who was hot on her tails. The heat between them had only further increased during Ruby's apology attempt at the diner, for when Belle refused to listen, it had only caused Ruby to infuriate. This led to a few harsh words spouted either way. Though when Ruby crossed the line, Belle had snatched her baby back from Aurora, and exited in a huff.

"Let me explain-"

"Explain what?" Belle stopped in her tracks, and swiveled around. "Explain how you're constantly fucking around? How you're supposedly so "mature" now, yet I'm left with the baby while you're out God knows where?"

"Belle, give me a minute to give you an explanation."

"Save it." Belle continued to march down the street, hugging the gurgling toddler closer to her chest.

"There's a perfectly good reason." Ruby urged.

"I'm sure there is, but I'm tired of hearing it."

"Please, Belle. Just listen to me."

Belle stopped once more, swiveled around and stared at Ruby. Her face was lifeless, dry and she had heavy bags under her eyes. "Go on," she sighed. "Though if it isn't a good enough reason, we're done."

Ruby could feel her heart breaking. It was something she had never expected Belle to say. Beyond the troubles and arguments, all Ruby could see in her future was her, Belle and their beautiful daughter as one big happy family. Without that, Ruby was nothing. She was nothing without them. Ruby inhaled. "I've been working late night shifts at The Rabbit Hole so I can pay for your Birthday meal, and the dress I was going to buy you for it," she said. "Surprise."

Belle's expression did not change. "What kind of dress?"

"The sleeveless brown one you always gawp at in the catalogue."

Belle's face changed drastically from unreadable to furious. "I'm so fucking angry at you right now," she said. "Because it seems like you're never there for me, and our kid."

"I'm sorry," apologized Ruby. The words were sincere, and guilt washed over her as she talked.

"And, you know, it's difficult having a kid. Especially when you feel like you're alone. Because you have to constantly entertain them, and you never have five minutes to yourself. And you always wonder when the other parent is coming home, but they never do. Not until the kid's asleep, and the exhausted mother is too." Belle could feel herself tearing up at the thought. "And at first, you're furious. You're sick and tired of the other parent not being there, and having to deal with a million things at once. But soon enough, you're used to it. And you live every single dull day again and again, because there's nothing else going for you. Nothing at all."

Ruby sunk her front teeth into her lower lip, embarrassed. "I'm sorry I'm not there for you."

"But then, one day, somebody comes along. And they're beautiful, and perfect, and they take you away. They take you away for a lovely birthday meal, and buy you that wonderful expensive dress you've wanted for months, but could never afford because all your money went towards the bills, and baby food. They don't do it because they want something off of you, because they already have the world. They do it because they love you, and you never realize how lucky you are but you're the luckiest damn girl in the universe. And screw what anybody else thinks, because you're happy. Right now, I'm angry and happy. And I want to kiss you and punch you at the same time. But I love you, Ruby. So I'm sorry, too."

"What are you sorry for?"

"Sorry for not listening to you. I guess I was too arrogant to even take notice of what you had to say."

"Marriage is about forgiveness. At least, that's what they told us, anyway."

Belle smiled. She looked down, and snuggled Ariel. "Our little Princess doesn't like it when her Mommies fight."

Belle gave Ariel a kiss on the forehead, then passed their daughter to Ruby. "Sowwy, Ari," smiled Ruby. "Mommies fight sometimes, but it doesn't mean they don't love each other."

"Though we get angry at each other occasionally, we're still happy," supported Belle.

"I couldn't imagine my life without you two," whispered Ruby. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes threatening to fall as the words cracked up in her throat. She pressed her lips together tight and pulled Ariel closer to her.

"You don't have to," assured Belle. "Nothing can tear this family apart."


End file.
